The Reality of it All
by Deboa
Summary: Zack Martin has always been a Ladies Man. However, he has never had an actual relationship. To his unexpected surprise though, one trip to New York will change his life forever.
1. Girls

**Part One - A Change in Plans**

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Chapter 1 - Girls

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There she is, my Tanya. She's beautiful in every way. From her brunette hair to her amazing figure, she is the best looking girl on the S.S. Tipton, and she is all mine!

I walk up to her, take a seat beside her, and begin to gaze into her eyes with probably the most goofy look I have ever made. How could I help myself? She is flawless after all.

About three seconds into my intense staring, I notice that her eyes begin to concave downward. My facial expression begins to change. Had I done something wrong?

"Hey babe. You're looking awfully cute tonight." I say as I begin to play with her hair. Confidence is the main criteria on a first date. Without keeping a firm head about the girl, she will not have a firm head about dating you.

"Oh please Zack. Cut the crap. I've been sitting here for an hour now while you've been who knows where." She says as she begins to stare me down. Unfortunately, she doesn't know who she's dealing with. I never lose my cool.

"Tonya, Tonya, Tonya. That's a thing of the past. Let's focus on the present. For example, how about discussing how beautiful you look." I reply as a put my arm around her.

"Here's a better idea, let's talk about how cute you look with wet hair." She says, throwing a cup of water at my head.

Tonya then walks away, stomping harder with every step she makes. Whatever. I guess I was bound to get rejected on my first date eventually. I date so many different girls that the odds were against me for this particular night.

As I rise from my seat, I notice Cody who is standing next to me with a towel in his hand.

"You might want this." Cody says, giggling at how bad my hair looks when it is wet.

"Well at least I can get a girl to go with me on a first date. The best you can get is a greeting from Bailey. When are you just going to give up on her and move on? Your six month plan has clearly failed." I say as I snatch the towel from Cody's hand and cover my head in it.

After I finish drying off my hair, I notice that my comeback had apparently hurt Cody.

"I guess you're right Zack. I should just give up and move on. Then again, maybe I should just stop trying to find a girl. Nobody could ever like me."

"Awww come on buddy. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that maybe you should just ask Bailey out. Stop beating around the bush and just go for it. You've got nothing to lose." I say as I give Cody a reassuring wink. He is my brother, and since I'm better at getting girls than him I have to help him out.

"Wow Zack. You're always right when it comes to dating I guess. I don't know why I didn't listen to you sooner."

"Good. Now tomorrow after school the first thing I want you to do is ask Bailey out on a date with you. If you stand any sort of chance with her then she'll accept. Otherwise, you should really move on and find a different girl."

"I suppose. If she doesn't want to go on a date with me I'll probably just stop searching for girlfriends for the time being."

Stop searching? How? Why? I don't want to make him feel any worse so I will not question him, but why would anyone ever not want to look for a girlfriend? There are so many pretty girls out there to choose from. I guess that's why I can never keep any one girl. There are so many pretty ones that I just can't help myself.

After that discussion, I begin to walk back to my room. It did keep me thinking though. Not dating just because of one rejection? I could never let a pretty girl walk past me without speaking to her, so how could I just stop dating?

As I enter my room I hear Woody farting in the room next to mine. I feel kind of bad that Cody has to live with that stench in his room. Good thing I don't have a roommate. That way I don't have to worry about other people messiness or odors. Any clothing on my floor or smells in my room all come from me and me only.

So without even changing, immediately lay on my bed and, almost as quickly, fall asleep.

I slowly open my eyes, still feeling subconscious to the things around me. Once I regain my senses, I glance over to my clock which reads "9:32 AM".

…

…

… OH NO!

I'm late! School starts at 9:30. First my date and now this. I guess it's kind of different though because this time I actually remember what time I have to be there. Regardless, I have been quite tardy lately.

After throwing myself together as best I could in the five minutes I gave myself, I furiously bolt into my Geography class. As I exit my room though, I find a paper on the floor. I pick it up to find that it has a little note attached to it. The note says, "Thanks for the help, Zack. I can almost guarantee you didn't do your homework so I did it for you as a little thank you present. -Cody". That was awfully nice of him. I guess I should be nice more often.

"Hi Ms. Tutweiller. Sorry I'm late. I kind of overslept."

"Zack, I'm tired of all of your excuses. Just take a seat."

"Don't you want my homework first?" I say as I glance over to Cody who happens to be smiling at me.

"You did your homework? Well then, I guess I won't need to punish your tardiness."

I then quickly hand Ms. Tutweiller and take a seat to avoid changing her mind since it is currently in my favor.

"As I was saying, today we will be docking in New York which many of you should know is located on the northeastern border of the United States."

That's sounds exciting. I've been to New York to see a few Yankee games before, but I've never truly explored it. I am looking even more forward to our trip to France next week though. I heard the babes out there are smoking hot.

But who knows. New York might have some hotties in it as well.

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_I know this chapter might seem like the story hasn't gone anywhere yet, but it is introducing everything and emphasizing Zack's character. I personally think this will be my best story yet, so please keep reading!_

_I would also highly appreciate any reviews so that I can know how this is going._


	2. A Stroll in the Forest

Chapter 2 – A Stroll in the Forest

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After school ends, I begin to search for Cody. Has he asked Bailey out yet? Even though it isn't really my business, I tend to make any Cody-related problems a concern of mine.

Though my search for Cody is a complete failure, one good thing has come out of it. I found the girl who he was going to ask out to begin with, Bailey.

"Hey Bailey, have you seen Cody at all today?"

"Yup. He was my math partner today. We were graphing Sine and Cosine curves. He draws each arc with such precision."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sounds exciting and all, but did anything else happen between you two?"

"Hmmm not that I can recall. Why? Did I forget about something?"

"Nope. Don't worry about it." I say as I begin to turn around.

"Well good luck finding him."

Well that was a waste of time. He didn't even listen to me. He must've chickened out. What more does he want me to do? Does he want me to hold his hand while he asks her out? Whatever the case may be, he'd better have a good explanation.

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I swing open the door to my bedroom to find Cody, sitting on the vacant bed beside mine.

"There you are Cody! Why didn't you ask her out?"

"Well, I felt like asking her out when we docked at New York would be more romantic."

"Oh, yeah. Because what better way to ask a girl out than yelling above the sound of a city bus horn, right?"

Cody then turns his head down. I take a deep breath. Maybe I took things too far with my sarcasm again.

"Look. You aren't proposing to her, you're just asking her out. It doesn't have to be under the perfect setting. All you're doing is asking her if you want to go out. Just think of it like you're asking her a math question."

"Oh please, I would never need help in math."

"You get what I mean. Just ask her out. Stop stalling."

Before either of us can continue a sound begins to emerge from the loud speaker.

*DING DONG*

"Attention guests. We have now docked in New York. All students must return at nine o'clock. The S.S. Tipton will be departing on Sunday at noon. If you will be returning, please do so at that time."

A smirk begins to run across my face.

"Haha. Well now we're in New York so I guess you will get the location you wanted. Now good luck out there buddy. As for me, it's time to go girl hunting." I say as I confidently walk out of my room.

I can't wait to explore New York.

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I slowly walk off the boat. To my surprise though, the city-like slumber I had imagined was but a mere hoax.

I turn around to spot Ms. Tutweiller who seems excited to break away from her teaching career.

"Hey, Ms. Tutweiller. You lied. You said we were going to dock at New York. This looks like a country land."

"No, Zack. This is upstate New York. We got here by traveling through a tiny bay."

"So where are the cute girls? Then again, where are the people around here?"

"This is the country. Around here there are many very tiny towns separated by huge tree-filled gaps."

"Well then, I'd better go look for a town or two." I say, trying to flee Ms. Tutweiller's geography lesson.

This isn't exactly what I had expected, but I might as well make the most of it.

I make my way to the nearest tree, which isn't necessarily a challenging task since the entire area is engulfed in them, and climb up it to search for civilization from a higher area. I begin to look left and right, until I spot Cody and Bailey, walking together through the leafy pathway they had found. Did Cody ask her out yet? The only way to find out is to listen in on there discussion.

I climb out of the tree and begin to run toward them, dodging the leaves to prevent Cody and Bailey realizing I am behind them. The crackling sound they produce would certainly give me away.

As I approach them, I realize that Cody and Bailey have come to a pause. I decide to climb up a nearby tree to be more securely hidden. Once I make it to the top of the tree, I realize that they have continued to move.

*Sigh* Do I really have nothing better to do than stalk my brother? Well I'm in a deserted forest, so I guess so.

As they walk away I turn around to see a figure in the distance. Could it just be an animal? Certainly not. It is definitely a person.

I remain in the tree. Maybe it is just old person from the ship? Or maybe one of my classmates? I continue to gaze in that direction to find that the person seems to be carrying a basket. It definitely is not a person from the ship if they are wandering alone with a basket.

As the person gets closer, I discover that it is a girl. The girl seems to be younger than me, probably still in Middle School. Well, I'm only a freshman so I could still get away with it. She is very short, probably about four and a half feet tall, and has blond hair which is in two cute little pig tails. She just looks like a true country girl if I had ever seen one.

As she walks past the tree I am in, I slowly dip my head around the branch I am on to see her once she passes. After about three seconds of staring at her upside down, I begin to lose my balance and stumble out of the tree. The girl quickly turns around.

"Uhhh who are you?" She says in a rather petit voice.

I begin to stand up with my hand on my back.

"Are you okay?" She asks as she runs toward me to see if I am okay.

"Yeah I'm fine. The leaves cushioned my fall."

"Do you live around here? I've never seen you before."

"Nope. I attend school on the S.S. Tipton and we docked a little while ago. I couldn't find anything to do around here so when I spotted you, I got completely distracted and…"

The girl begins to giggle at my desperation. "How about you come back to my town? It's definitely more interesting than this forest."

"Sure."

This girl seemed a little to young for me to make any moves on. I felt like I was being a little bothersome to her anyway so I didn't want to scare her away with my Zack charm.

"So… what

"So what's your name?" She asks as we being to talk through the forest.

"It's Zack. How about your name?"

"Theresa. Anyway, so you live on a ship? That is so cool. Do you travel around the world?"

"Sure do. I've been to a lot of different places."

"Lucky! I haven't been to that many places before. As you can see, there isn't many places to go around here."

"So what do you do for fun around here?"

"I don't know. I play with the girls in my town. We're all pretty bored so we all have to find something to do."

"Are there a lot of girls in your town?"

"Sure are. In fact, as far as kids go, all of them are girls. Well, except for my brother. He's the only boy in the entire town."

"Haha lucky him. He gets to be around all you girls."

"Well, not really. He doesn't really have any guy friends and we do girl stuff. He'll probably make good friends with you." Theresa says with a big smirk across her face.

I wasn't really interested in making new friends, but I didn't want to tell her that. She was about to bring me to an entire town of girls. So how could I complain?

"So, how old are you?" Theresa asks. I guess she is kind of curious about me.

"Fourteen."

"I'm eleven. But my brother is fifteen. I'm sure you'll make great friends."

What's with the obsession with her brother? I guess I may as well act nice around him since he has no friends. Couldn't hurt, right?

"Here we are!" Theresa shouts as she extends her arms into the air.

I look ahead to see several small houses lined up with a few tiny shacks with store signs on them. It doesn't seem like much, but this town will surely uncover a new chapter in my life!

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_I felt like it was only fair that I update this story again since I have been focusing on my first story the most! I am planning to finish that story before progressing much more on this one!_

_Anyway, just a fair warning, this story will be an M/M pairing! If you aren't into that kind of thing, stop reading now! This story might also have some M Rated material in the future, so beware! _

_Thank you for reading, and please review this chapter so that I can know what you liked and/or disliked about the chapter. _^_^_  
_


	3. The New Kid in Town

Chapter 3 – The New Kid in Town

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"Wow. This place looks so… different! Like a little village or something." I state as I take it all in.

"Sure is! Now, let's head over to my house first." Theresa exclaims as she points toward the direction she wants me to walk.

As Theresa and I enter the town, we are bombarded by little girls. Man, when she said there are only girls in this town, she meant it. There have to be a dozen or two of them. There are more little girls here than there are houses! The worst part is, they're all too young for me to even want to hit on them.

"Theresa's back!" One of the little girls shouts.

"And she brought a boy with her!" Another adds.

"Theresa has a boyfriend! Theresa has a boyfriend!" The crowd of girls begins to chant.

"Stop!" Theresa yells back at them, but to no prevail. The girls simply continue chanting.

I look down at Theresa who now seems discouraged by my presence. I'm the one who decided to follow her here in the first place, so I'm the one who'll have to fix it!

"HEY! Relax!" I scream at the girls in a vicious tone. They all stop chanting.

"Now, let's get one thing straight. I am not dating Theresa. In fact, I only met her a little while ago in the forest. She is just showing me around town." I state to the crowd before me.

"So you're a visitor? We rarely ever get those." One of them mentions.

"What's going on over here?" A boy who begins grumpily pushing through the crowd asks.

"Zack, I would like you to meet my brother Nicholas!" Theresa points to her brother. Nicholas has blue eyes and long black hair with bangs that are brushed to the side. The tips of his bangs touch the top of his glasses. It's quite a stylish look. He seems like nobody that I've seen before, but still nothing special.

Nicholas looks up at me after his sister finishes her sentence. He begins to have an intrigued, yet curious expression at the sight of me. After a few seconds of his silent examination, Nicholas begins to speak.

"Zack, is it? Nice to meet you. I'm Nick." He smiles as he shakes my hand.

"Anyway, I was just about to bring him on a tour around town. Come on Zack!" Theresa pulls on me.

"How about I walk him around the town so you can play with your friends?" Nicholas asks his sister.

"Okay, but don't hurt him, Nick. You are older than him!" Theresa smiles. With the tone she was speaking in, it's as if she doesn't even expect him to hurt me. In fact, it's like she thinks he wants to hang out with me. I wonder if that's what his voluntary act to tour me is all about.

"Okay Zack, let's go this way first!" Nicholas runs in the direction he wants to go. I chase after him for a few seconds. Once we are a good distance from the girls, he slows down.

"So, how old are you Zack?" He initiates a conversation out of nowhere.

"Fourteen. I'll be fifteen soon though."

"That's cool. I'm sixteen myself. I'll be seventeen since my birthday is soon too."

"Where exactly are we going?"

"I'm going to show you the town auditorium first and then we'll go to the river. How does swimming sound?" Nicholas asks. He seems like a rather mature, serious type of guy. Not really my favorite kind of person to hang with, but I might surprise myself.

"Awesome! I don't have a bathing suit with me though."

"Well you have two choices then. Choice number one would be to borrow one of mine. Choice number two is of course you can swim in your boxers." Nicholas sticks his tongue out.

"Or there's choice three: I don't swim." I add.

"Awww that's no fun."

"Since when did you get all playful?" I ask. It kind of shocked me that he would be saying any of this with all the straight forward responses he's been giving so far.

"Why? Do you not want me to be?"

"No, not at all. I like that side of you better."

"The truth is I've never really had a boy… I mean guy friend before, so this is all new to me. I usually am serious though because there's nobody around here to have a good time with."

"Yeah, I heard you're the only boy around here. Lucky you, having all these girls to be around." I nudge his chest.

"Not really. For starters, they're all young. That isn't the main issue though. It's just that I need a guy around to hang out with. Do you get what I mean?"

"Makes sense. Well good thing I showed up then. Now you can have some real fun!" I smile at Nicholas as he smiles back. I don't think I've ever been this wanted by someone before. All that this poor guy wants is to have some guy time, and that's what I'll give him!

* * *

"Now, here's the auditorium. There are events that go on here every night! It's really a lot of fun."

"That's cool. What will be happening here tonight?"

"It's Karaoke night! You should give it a shot. You look like you'd be quite the singer!" Nicholas chuckles through his sarcasm.

"Oh, please. I'm not gonna…" I pause for a moment. "You know what? Let's make a deal. I will sing tonight if you also sing!"

"Fine, but you're singing first." He winks at me.

"Ha ha ha. We have a deal."

"Now, let's head over to my house to grab some bathing suits. I'm just dying to go for a swim."

"Alright then, but are you sure your bathing suits will fit me?"

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Maybe," I say as we both begin to laugh. Nicholas really isn't half bad. I've been going after girls for so long that I forgot how much fun making new guy friends could be.

"Well, if I'm so fat, then let's see if I can run faster than you!" Nicholas says as he begins to sprint to his house.

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After a few seconds of running, we both arrive at his house. Nicholas arrives first by a slight margin, but only because I didn't exactly know which house was his so I let him have the lead. He did have a head start, but I could've beaten him if I wanted to. I am a rather fast runner.

"Hey guys I'm home!" Nicholas yells into his house as he swings open the door. The first thing I notice is a man sitting on a chair in the room we enter into. He appears to be reading the newspaper. However, when he looks up from Nicholas' call, he begins to stare at me. He lowers his glasses a bit as most people with reading glasses do to see something at a distance.

"Who is this?" The man asks.

"This is my new friend Zack! Zack, this is my Dad."

Nicholas' dad stands up and walks over to me, still staring me down. He reminds me a lot of his son with this whole stare down thing. Nicholas was doing this when he first saw me too.

"Nice to meet you Zack. My name is Christopher." Nicholas' dad says as he offers me a handshake. Now a handshake too? I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

"So, where exactly are you from?" Christopher asks me.

"Well, I lived in Boston for most of my life, but nowadays I go to school on a boat."

Nicholas' eyes light up. "Really? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, but we're currently docked a walk away from your village, so when I ran into Theresa in the forest she brought me here."

"Oh that sister of mine is always bringing home interesting things, but a boy? That's a new one."

*RING RING*

"Ah that must be my work phone. Nice meeting you Zack. Have fun with Nicholas!" Christopher shouts as he runs to the phone.

"Work phone, huh? So what is his job?"

"My dad is the pastor in the local church."

"You mean like a priest?"

"Well, priests are the leaders in a Catholic church. He preaches in a Baptist church. I should've warned you that I live in a rather religious environment, so watch what you say or do."

"Got it! Anyway, go get the bathing suits. It's getting late and I'd rather swim before the sun goes down."

"Right. I almost forgot." Nicholas says as he darts up the stairs. "What are you waiting for, an invitation? Come on up the stairs!"

I shrug my shoulder and follow him up the stairs. I personally find the whole experience of walking into someone's house for the first time to be extremely awkward, but he is being inviting so I guess I should just not worry about it.

"Hello there." A women smiles at me when I reach the top of the stairs. She appears to be sorting clothes.

"Mom, this is my new friend Zack."

"That's so nice! About time a new boy moved in around here."

"Oh, I didn't move in. I'm just here for the weekend."

"Well make yourself at home. We have plenty of food. In fact, how would you like to join for dinner in an hour and a half?"

"That sounds great?" I gleefully accept her offer. I'm not sure where Cody and the gang are at the moment, so why not stick around here for now?

"Okay Zack let's go put on some bathing suits and head out to the river now."

"I'm right behind you."

As we enter Nicholas' room, I am shocked to find it extremely organized. His bed is made, there are no clothes on the floor, and everything seems to be placed in a specific spot. Kind of like Cody's room, except without an excessive amount of air freshener.

"Wow, you're really organized. My room is such a mess compared to this."

"Well if you like messy rooms then go take a look at my sister's room. It's a pigsty." Nicholas smirks from his own comment.

"Hmmm well I have to admit. For a guy, you're very neat."

"Why thank you. Now which bathing suit would you prefer? Blue with white stars or white with blue stars?"

"I like the white with blue stars."

"Good choice." He says, throwing the bathing suit at me.

"Is it okay if I wear no boxers in your bathing suit? I didn't bring a change of boxers with me…" I state, embarrassed at my asking.

"Uhhh su-sure." He hesitates, turning a shade of red.

I get behind his bed and quickly drop my pants and boxers. I slip on his bathing suit. I look back up to find that Nicholas is staring at the upper half of me that he can see with a thinking face.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just a little shocked you would get naked in front of me like that."

"It's not that big a deal. I was behind your bed. Besides, we both got the same stuff down there." I jokingly nudge him. Nicholas turns even redder than he was before.

"Stop that." He says, most likely aware he is blushing.

"Well then change so we can get going already."

Nicholas takes off his pants and throws the bathing suit over his boxers very quickly. Either he is dying to go to the river, or he has some upper leg flaw he doesn't want me to spot.

"Now then, we can finally be on our way to the river." I state. Nicholas shakes his head, ridding himself of the redness it once had and looks up with a smile.

"Alright! Here we go!"

* * *

_What new experiences await Zack during his time in this town? Read on to find out! _^_^

_I know it has been quite a while since I've updated this story, but I've been sidetracked with other stories! I promise I will not abandon this story for as long as I was ever again! _=)

_Anyway, PLEASE review so that I can know if this story is worth updating frequently!_


	4. Splash Me If You Can!

Chapter 4 – Splash Me If You Can!

* * *

We head over to river, Nicholas leading the way a few footsteps ahead of me. He seems awfully excited about going there. I wonder what is so good about it? I guess I'll find out when we get there.

* * *

Once the river is viewable in the distance, Nicholas finally begins to talk.

"There it is!" He cries out as he bolts toward the river. I too begin to run, in awe of how clean the river looks. Most bodies of water I've seen are oceans. From living in Boston to being on a boat the past few months, oceans have been around me a lot. I have to say though, they look nowhere as pure and clean as this river.

"You weren't planning to leave me behind, were you?" I ask him once we come to a stop in front of the river.

"Right, sorry about that. I really didn't mean to ditch you." He sighs.

"It's fine. Time to hit the water!" I yell out as I lift my shirt over my head. However, after I remove my shirt, I find Nicholas staring at the bare skin under it as if he's in shock. I look down at my body to see what he's staring at.

"What's up? Is there something on my chest?" I ask Nicholas as I slide my hands over my chest to brush off whatever he might be staring at. Nicholas quickly looks back up at me.

"What? Oh it's n-nothing. I was just day dreaming…" Nicholas bites his lip after his sentence.

"You okay dude? You look stressed out." I ask him. I don't get him. He was so happy to come to the river a few minutes ago and now he looks worried. It's like me being shirtless alarmed him or something. Why should he care if I have no shirt on? We're both guys after all so it's no big deal…

"I'm fine." Nicholas replies.

"Then get that shirt off and get in the river!" I slap Nicholas' shirt with the back of my hand, resulting in him twitching. I look back up at him and stare into his eyes, sensing insecurity. Something is clearly wrong.

"Okay, I know something is up. Just tell me. Maybe I can help you bro."

Nicholas looks away from me. He allows his eyes to wander into the distance, remaining in complete silence. I feel kind of bad. Did I do something wrong?

"Look man, I'm sorry. How about we just drop all of this and go into the river?" I tell him. The last thing I want to do is feel guilty for putting him into an uncomfortable position. I mean, I only met the guy a few hours ago. He probably doesn't want to talk to me about his problems.

Nicholas looks up at me, clearly noticing the guilt on my face. "That sounds like a great idea!" He smiles at me.

"Good then hurry up. Don't want to waste time now since dinner is in an hour." I remind Nicholas as I walk toward the river. "Ahhh the water's cold!" I shout as my feet hit the water. I turn around and see Nicholas removing his shirt. About time.

"You coming in or what?" I ask him, growing impatient.

"Be right there."" He replies as he takes off his glasses and places them on top of his shirt which he neatly folded and placed on a rock. I also notice that he folded my shirt for me and placed it under his.

"You didn't have to fold my shirt you know?" I tell Nicholas.

"I know, I just wanted to."

"Well thanks then. Just hurry up and get in here."

"Alright, alright. Relax, would ya?" Nicholas states as he walks toward me. I continue to watch him as he approaches me. I don't want him getting distracted again.

I wait until Nicholas reaches waist level with the water before I proceed to bring myself any deeper into it than my knees. I try to go deeper into the water, but the cold feeling the water gives my legs makes it difficult to so.

"It's freezing." I yell out to Nicholas in the distance.

"Clearly you aren't a country guy." Nicholas laughs as he walks back toward me.

Once Nicholas places himself next to me, he shoves me full force toward the water, causing me to fall. "Stop being such a baby and get out there." He tells me.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play? I see how it is." I smile as I swing my right leg at Nicholas, making him trip on top of me.

"You're so going down!" He replies as he pins my arms into the water. I try fight my way out of his grip, but to no avail. I guess those two years of age he has on me make quite a big difference.

"Stop using your maturity against me!" I cry out as I try to squirm out of his grip.

"Haha, if you insist!" He replies as he kicks water into my face and runs further into the river. "Looks like you're going to have to come out here If you want revenge." He snickers at me.

"Oh now you're in for it!" I yell out as I swim after him. I guess he really does have a playful side to him.

As I swim out to him, I look at the expression on his face, and see a whole new look to him. Unlike before, where he seemed simply happy, now he seems to be truly enjoying himself. I guess I can say the same for myself too. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. This just goes to show that the S.S. Tipton lacks one thing, a prefect friend for me. Sure, I always have my brother and the gang to turn to, but none of them can truly relate to me. None of them just want to have a good time fooling around. None of them are like Nicholas.

Nicholas tries to swim away, but I swim way too fast for him to do so. I begin splashing him in the face with water.

"Two can play at that game!" Nicholas smiles as he begins to splash me back.

* * *

"Race you back to shore!" I yell out after a few minutes of laughing and splashing. Nicholas bolts toward the shore before even agreeing. "Playing dirty now, are we?" I state as I swim after him. Unfortunately, his head start and my exhaustion from swimming allow him to win.

"I win!" He laughs, well aware that he cheated and laughing for just that reason. Nicholas then turns around and begins to walk away from me. I quickly dive at him and make him tumble to the ground as he did to me before.

"Now who's the winner?" I ask him as I give him a wedgie. I guess that could be a downside to wearing boxers when you swim.

Nicholas begins to yelp in response, but tries not to overreact.

"Why are you pulling on my brother's underwear?" A girl asks from behind me. I turn around to see Theresa confused at the sight she has walked in to.

I quickly remove my hand from him and stand up. "Why do you make it sound so gay for?" I ask his sister.

"What? What does that word mean?" Theresa asks.

My eyes widen as I stare at her. She really never heard the word gay before? She's eleven. She should know that by now. "It's when…" I start, but am interrupted by Nicholas who cuffs his hand over my mouth. "Foo bois loik eathoda." I continue to mumble through his hand.

"You aren't old enough to for us to tell you what that word means." Nicholas tells his little sister.

"Fine, if you won't tell me then I'll ask daddy what it means." She smiles, knowing she caught Nicholas in a trap.

Nicholas looks down in defeat. "Very well. You win. Gay means happy. Zack was just saying, 'Why did you say what you said with such a happy tone?' Like you were happy to see him doing that."

"Oh, I wasn't happy. Silly Zack." She smiles as she looks at me. "Well, mom sent me out here to tell you guys dinner will be ready in ten minutes, so you'd better get back there now!"

"Okay, we'll be there in a bit. We're just gonna dry up out here for a bit." Nicholas replies.

"I'd better get back home now. Bye Zack! Hope you're having fun!" Theresa waves at me as she runs into the distance.

Once Theresa is completely out of sight, Nicholas throws me a towel and looks at me. "Didn't I tell you to watch what you say and do around here? My parents are very religious and they don't teach Theresa anything outside of what they think she should know."

"I'm really sorry. It just slipped out." I sigh as I look toward the ground. I totally just ignored his warning from before. He has every right to be mad at me just about now…

"No problem. Just try to be more aware." Nicholas informs me. "Anyway, I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun today so far!"

I smile as I notice Nicholas has changed the topic of discussion. I guess he really isn't mad at me after all. It's like he's just looking out for me more than he's trying to make me feel bad. He really is a true friend.

* * *

_I felt kind of bad for not updating this story in a while, so I used the very little time I have to make this chapter. I decided to make it not that long so that I could complete it before my busy schedule caught back up with me!_

_Secondly, due to school, don't expect an update for this story for another month at least. Sorry if that is an inconvenience for anyone. I want to write as much as you guys want me to update, but I don't have much time._

_Finally, don't forget to review! I want to know how many followers I have for this story so I can know if it's worth making this story a priority to update over the others! _^_^_  
_


	5. Dinner at the Nut House

Chapter 5 – Dinner at the Nut House

* * *

After drying off, Nicholas and I head back to his house. Since his mother is apparently dying to have me over for dinner, I really don't have a choice. Besides, I've been having so much fun with Nicholas so far today how could I say no to spending even more time with him?

Once we arrive at Nicholas' house, he turns toward me. "Remember, don't say or do anything stupid in front of my parents. Okay?" Nicholas reminds me yet again.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." I wave my hand in the air.

"No, seriously. My parents are…" Nicholas starts with a very serious expression on his face.

I then cut him off. "I said I understand. Let's just go in. I promise I'll be good." I wrap my arm around his shoulder and wink at him to indicate I am on his side. However, Nicholas becomes a bit red. "Is everything okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah." He says as he gently lifts my hand off of his shoulder. "Let's go in."

* * *

As we enter Nicholas' house, his father, Christopher, is once again found sitting at the front of the house reading the newspaper. Talk about a boring dad. I mean, it's understandable to see him doing something boring if it has to do with his job, but just sitting there all day long reading the paper is definitely neither productive nor exciting.

"Hey dad, we're home." Nicholas says as we walk through the living room.

Christopher lowers his reading glasses to get a firm view of the both of us. "Oh, and you brought your friend back as well. Welcome back. Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?" Christopher asks me.

"Mom already invited him before. He's staying." Nicholas replies.

"I think the boy can talk for himself." Christopher stands up and walks toward me. "Zack, was it?"

"Yes sir." I respond. I don't think I've ever actually used the word 'sir' before. Then again, I don't think anyone would expect a guy like me to use that word to address anyone.

"So, Zack, what are your religious views?" The older man questions me with a firmly suspicious look on his face. Where the heck did that come from?It's like he just asked the first question that came to mind. Then again, he's a pastor so I should've expected him to ask me that.

I take a deep breath and answer honestly, which luckily is also the answer I know he wants to hear. "I am Christian sir."

A smile then draws across his face. Is it really that big a deal what my religion is? Why should he care at all?

"And which sect of Christianity do you affiliate yourself with?" Christopher continues.

"Uhhh, what's a sect?" I ask in utter confusion. This guy is really starting to sound nosey, but for Nicholas' sake I won't be mean.

"It's a division of Christianity. For example, Catholicism is one sect." The old man smiles at my curiosity or rather, the curiosity he thinks I have.

"Oh, yeah, I'm Catholic. At least I think I am. I'm not sure. I'm not really too religious. I just know the basics."I answer him, hoping the conversation will end soon.

"Well that's fine. Most boys your age aren't very religious. Maybe Nicholas can teach you a thing or two." He continues smiling at me as if I have some sort of potential in his religion or something. Whatever the case, he's certainly the person I'd want to avoid talking to around here.

"Dinner's ready. Nicholas, set the table!" Nicholas' mother shouts from the kitchen. Oh no, now he has to leave me here to talk to this guy alone? Maybe I should have just told him I am not religious and I am not interested in being converted and left it at that to begin with.

"Zack, do you want to help me set the table?" Nicholas asks, nudging his eyes in the direction of the kitchen. He is as aware as I am of the verbal annoyance I am undergoing right now apparently.

"No. Let Zack stay here and talk to me for a while. He's our guest and guests don't set the table." Christopher responds.

"Guests also shouldn't be bombarded with questions." I groan to myself.

Nicholas then takes a deep breath and walks away.

"Anyhow, Zack where were we?" He begins immediately once Nicholas exits the room.

"Shouldn't I go help set the table?" I plead.

"No, no. Don't worry about it. Nicholas and my wife, Katherine, have everything under control."

"Oh, ummm… In that case, I have to use the bathroom. Where exactly is it?" I say, trying to escape the conversation I've been locked in for the past ten minutes.

"It's right next to Nicholas' room upstairs." Christopher tells me. I quickly charge up the stairs without another word spoken between us. I should've pulled the bathroom card from the start.

* * *

After using the bathroom, I decide to quickly change out of my bathing suit in Nicholas' room. I throw on my pants and walk toward the door to go downstairs for dinner. However, something catches my eyes on the way out. One of the drawers on Nicholas' nightstand appears half open. I walk toward it and begin to shut it until I notice books inside it. Being the curious person I am I open up the drawer to examine the books.

The book on the top is, of course, the Bible. It also says "English Standard Version" on the front of it, whatever that means. I guess Nicholas wasn't kidding when he said religion is a strict part of his household. I quickly glance through the book to find that Nicholas has marked up a good portion of it. However, I find that one chapter in particular has nothing marked on it at all. It is under the part called "Leviticus" and the chapter is titled "Unlawful Sexual Relations" with a big fat number "18" next to it. To be quite honest it sounds like the most luring chapter to me. Maybe it's because I'm a teenager and the word "sexual" just screams out to me. Whatever the case, why would Nicholas skip over the most intriguing chapter?

I begin to scroll through the chapter and then discover why he, or then again anyone, would not want to read this chapter. It discusses the most disgusting scenarios of having sex I've ever heard of. It starts off talking about how banging relatives and family members is bad. Why would anyone even have to be warned not to do that? That is just gross on so many levels.

Next, it goes on to inform the readers that you shouldn't have sex with animals. Oh, come on Bible. Are you serious? Why would anyone even think about that let alone do it? The people who wrote this book must've been total perves to even have that cross their minds. Besides, if anyone were to sink as low as to rape an animal, would they even be reading this book?

Then, right next to animals as the final two points, it says that two men shall not have sex with each other. Ewwww, what guy in their right mind would ever want to have sex with another guy? I mean, just thinking about it gives me the chills. I don't want some other guys… stuff… all over me!

Although with all three of these points I do agree that each one is wrong, I don't see why they should be rules. I mean, as gross as this may sound, if someone wants to do it with their cousin, let them. Or if someone wants to have sex with another dude I don't see why anyone else should care. It isn't doing harm to anyone. Animals, on the other hand, would never allow you to do such things to them without rape so that is overall the only plausible point here.

* * *

After digesting what I had just read, I slip the Bible back into the drawer with absolute disgust and pull out the next book titled "The One Year Book of Youth Devotions". I quickly flip it open.

"What are you doing?" A voice from outside the room asks. I quickly shut the book and notice Theresa watching me from outside the bedroom.

"I was just changing into my pants." I reply as I quickly slip the book back into the drawer.

"What were you just reading?" Theresa asks out of curiosity.

"Nothing…" I try to fend her off.

"Ooooo, I'm telling!" She yelps excited as she charges down the stairs.

"No! Get back here!" I shout as I bolt after Theresa. Why do little kids get such a thrill out of getting people in trouble?

"Nicholas! I caught him reading a book in your room!" Theresa points at me as I enter the dining room right behind her. Apparently the entire family is beside him. Way to get me in trouble you stupid little girl. You'd better get a good laugh out of this.

"I was just changing into my pants." I sigh as I point to the pants that I put on.

"Nooooo. I saw him! He was reading a book!" Theresa exclaims as she jumps into the air and continues pointing at me.

"What were you reading Zack?" Nicholas asks me.

I look down. "I was reading the Bible. I found it on the floor, but I put it away when I was finished." I look back up to find a big grin drawn across Christopher's face. Oh boy, not again! This guy really can't just stop being so curious about me, can he?

"Well that's excellent! Time with God is time well spent. Which story did you read?" Christopher asks. Apparently Nicholas' opinion of me invading his personal Bible doesn't even matter to his dad if it means I was 'spending quality time with God'.

I obviously don't want to tell him I was reading a chapter about sex, so I lie. "The story about Adam and Eve sir." I state, since that's the only other story I know.

"Ah yes, the story of Creation. A very insightful one indeed. You do know that, despite contrary belief, that story is very true. If anyone tells you that the Earth was created by other means then what is said in that there chapter then they are lying to you!" The old man warns me. This guy can really just talk about the Bible all day. Someone should just have a nice long fireside chat with him to just get it out of his system.

"Got it." I say as I force a fake smile onto my face to act like I actually care. I look to Nicholas, who looks completely aware of how fake my smile is.

"Come on everyone, let's eat dinner before it gets cold!" Nicholas' mother says as she removes the oven mittens from her hands.

"Were you really reading my Bible?" Nicholas whispers to me in shock that I would even think of saying that.

"Yeah."

"Ummm, good. I guess…" He sighs in confusion as he walks toward the dinner table.

* * *

After we sit at the dinner table, Christopher once again places his focus on me.

"So Zack, are you dating anybody?" Christopher asks me before I even take a seat. And the harassment continues…

"No sir." I reply.

"Have you ever dated anyone?" He questions me further.

"Chris, would you stop interrogating the boy? He's our house guest, not a job applicant!" Katherine reprimands her spouse. Suddenly, I like the mother of this household a lot more.

"Very well then. He's seems like a good kid anyway." Chris smiles as he turns to me. "You know Zack, if I had a daughter around your age, you'd be the perfect boyfriend for her. Of course I would help you become more knowledgeable with God's Word first though." He smiles at me. He honestly thinks that I, Zack Martin, am a good candidate for a boyfriend? Maybe I just fed the guy everything he wanted to hear because I have never been considered the "perfect guy" for any girl. I can't hold on to a girl for a week, let alone a lifetime. Yet this guy is saying that I could be a good boyfriend. I'm glad the old guy sees potential in me, but I don't see myself going very far in the marriage game.

Next, I notice a rather extravagant meal across the table. On one end of the table, there is a tray of perfectly prepared Baked Ziti with some sort of additional yellow chess sauce I have never seen in a typical dish of Baked Ziti mixed into it as well as several visible spices. Next to that there is a bowl of assorted vegetables topped in a brown sauce. Finally, I also notice a plate piled with barbecue chicken wings, with Blue Cheese dressing beside it. My mouth begins to water just looking at all this stuff. I haven't had a good home cooked meal in years. As if Katherine hadn't proved to be my favorite parent around here already, this meal has sealed the deal.

"This food looks amazing!" I say with an excited smirk across my face.

"Hahaha, enjoy! I made plenty of food for everyone." Katherine smiles at the complement.

As we start to eat, Nicholas' mother initiates a "family discussion". "So boys, how was the river?" She asks.

"It was so much fun! Thankfully Zack is a good swimmer so it actually could be fun." He states as he winks at Theresa.

"Hey that's not funny! I can swim too! Besides, mommy said she'll teach me how to swim better next summer." Theresa pouts in discontent at Nicholas' indirect insult.

I then turn toward Nicholas' dad and notice that he is just eating silently. I guess he likes to talk all day long, but when it comes to meal time nothing is on his mind aside from the food he shoves down his throat.

Katherine begins to laugh watching the innocent heat between her children. "So, Theresa, how was your day today?" She asks as she inserts some ziti into her mouth.

"It was awesome! Me and the girls played make believe in the forest for a little while." Theresa answers as she takes a sip out of her cup.

"That's nice. How did you feel today? Any signs of that cold from a few days ago?" Nicholas' mom continues asking.

"Nope. That cold didn't even cross my mind. All that was on my mind today were gay thoughts!" She exclaims with a smile across her face. Did she just say… oh no…

As soon as she says this, her father spits out the chicken in his mouth and looks up. "What did you just say?" Christopher questions his daughter.

"I had gay thoughts. Why are you acting all surprised? Yes, I know what gay means. You can complement me if you'd like for using new words." She smiles.

"Who taught you that word?" He stares at her intently. I turn to Nicholas to see his reaction to this whole scenario. He seems to be staring at his plate and eating, knowing that he is guilty, but spending all of his innocent time productively.

"Nicholas did." She stares at her brother. Can't that girl lie just once? It wouldn't hurt anyone for her to say she heard it on the radio or something.

"Theresa, go to your room for a little while and bring your food with you. Nicholas and I need to have a serious talk." Chris growls at his daughter in an irritated tone. Oh boy, I've only seen the nosey, yet kind side of Christopher. Now it's time to see the strict and disciplinary side of him and so far it's already scaring me!

* * *

_And that concludes the ending to yet another slow paced chapter. I hope you guys don't mind the pace I'm going at because I am doing this so that you all can get to know the characters well before I dive into the story!_

_Always remember to review! The more reviews I see, the faster I updater so REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!_

_Remember to check back for the next update to find out what happens in the argument between Christopher and Nicholas!_ ^_^_  
_


	6. Gay Karaoke

Chapter 6 – Gay Karaoke

* * *

"Theresa, go to your room for a little while and bring your food with you. Nicholas and I need to have a serious talk." Christopher growls at his daughter in an irritated tone.

After barking his order, and his daughter obeying, Christopher gets up from his seat and walks toward Nicholas. I continue eating as if nothing's going on. I don't want my presence to be noticed and, to top it off, I am scared as all hell. This guy was already intimidating before, but now I'm literally petrified!

As soon as Theresa's door shuts, Christopher begins to speak. "Where did your sister hear that word?" Christopher asks. I begin to shake in my seat. This all my fault.

Nicholas continues eating and stares at his plate. "WHERE DID YOUR SISTER HEAR THAT WORD?" the old man repeats as he slams the table.

Nicholas proceeds to ignore his father. I squeeze my eyes shut. I can't take it anymore. This is just going to get worse the longer I let it go on. I'll just have to turn myself in. What's the worst that could happen?

I swallow as I look up. "Sir, please don't yell at Nicholas. The person who said that word in front of your daughter was…" I take a deep breath before continuing.

"Me." Nicholas states as he stares at his plate. Did he just… take the blame? Why would he do that?

"Zack, would you go check on Theresa for me please? I need to talk to Nicholas alone." He tells me.

I stand up and begin to walk toward the staircase, but my mind begins to flutter with thoughts. 'Be humble!' 'Don't let Nicholas take the blame!' 'This is your fault!' My mind begins to scream at me. I turn back toward Nicholas who seems to have not the slightest bit of emotion on his face. As soon as I notice Christopher's infuriated expression, however, fear begins to overtake me. Instead of taking the blame, I proceed up the stairs into Theresa's room. I just hope Nicholas understands.

* * *

Upon arrival into Theresa's room, I find her watching television. She's acting as if nothing is wrong at all.

"Hey Zack, what's up?" She smiles at me.

"Why did you get us in trouble?" I say, upset with her.

She stares at me in confusion for a few seconds and then shuts the television off. "What did I do?" Theresa asks.

"You said that word! You weren't supposed to say it!" I begin to shout a bit.

"You mean gay?" She repeats the word.

"Stop using that word! You'll get us into even more trouble!" I shout at her. Then again, I'm not even in trouble although I'm the one who deserves it. So why am I saying she's getting both of us into trouble?

Theresa looks at me in shock. "Relax yourself... What's so bad about that word?" She raises her right eyebrow.

"It's just that the word has two meanings." I inform her.

"And what's the other meaning?"

I take a few seconds to contemplate if I should tell her or not. I come to the conclusion that if I don't tell her it could lead to worsening the situation. "It means that two boys are in love with one another. Or two girls."

Her eyes widen. "That's possible? I never knew that." She places her hand on her chin. "Does that mean that I heard you saying that because you're in love with Nicholas?" She gasps.

"NO WAY!" I scream in disgust. "That's gross!"

"What's so bad about that?" She asks me.

"Just think about it: me and Nicholas kissing? Me and Nicholas touching each other and saying romantic things?" I reply. How could she even consider this?

"Yeah, you're right. That is kind of disgusting. Then again, my brother dating anyone would be nasty in my opinion." Theresa laughs.

"Nah, your brother's an awesome guy." I smile at her.

"Awww, I'm so happy you two are friends!" She dives onto me, taking me in for a hug. I really don't get this girl. First she rats me out for reading the Bible in her brother's room and now she's hugging me. What's next? A slap across the face followed by an 'I love you'?

Theresa looks up at me with her arms still around me. "You know Zack, even though my daddy said if I were a little older you'd make the perfect boyfriend for me doesn't mean I would necessarily pick you to go out with." She tells me. "I'd pick you as my boyfriend because you're a really nice guy." Theresa winks at me.

"Thanks…" I say, unsure how to react. I guess that was a complement.

After I thank her, she begins to walk toward the door. "Oh…" She turns back around. "And you're one of the cutest boys I've ever seen!" She adds as she shuts the door, leaving me in her room alone.

I remain silent in confusion. One second this girl is happily escorting me through the forest, then she just tells on me for no reason at all, and now she tells me that I'm hot and datable. Girls are so unpredictable sometimes.

* * *

I walk out of Theresa's room to find Nicholas walking up the stairs. I freeze up and stare at him for a bit, as does he back to me. I finally muster up the courage to say what I must, despite the rarity of these words coming out of my mouth. "I… I'm really sorry for leaving you like that." I sigh.

"No problem. I'm used to dealing with my dad. He's a bit obsessive when it comes to standing up for what he believes in." Nicholas smiles.

"You're not mad at me?" I gasp. I'm the one who got us… I mean him… into trouble in the first place.

"No way. It's not your fault my father overreacted." Nicholas takes me by the arm. "Anyway, karaoke night is going to start soon. Let's head down there now!"

Nicholas begins to pull me, but I don't move. "Somebody is urgent to follow through with our deal." I smirk. "You know, the one where if I sing then you have to sing?"

"Yeah, I remember our deal. How could I forget?" Nicholas replies. "That isn't the only reason we're going though. Karaoke night is a lot of fun. Besides, if you don't come with me you'll be stuck here with my dad. Would you rather have him question you to death?" Nicholas rhetorically asks.

"Good point. I have to head back to the ship though after karaoke night is done." I state.

"Awesome! Let's go then!" He charges down the stairs.

"Don't forget about our deal! I'm not singing unless you choose to sing too!" I shout as I follow his lead down the stairs. I'm not sure why, but I have the feeling that, even though a karaoke night doesn't sound all that fun, I will be in for a huge surprise.

* * *

After informing his parents of our departure and his sister giving me a big goodbye hug, Nicholas and I head to the auditorium. The entire way there, I make it clear that Nicholas had better sing after I do and not cheat his way out of our deal. After about five minutes of discussion, however, we both agree that a duet would be an even better idea. That way, we both get to sing simultaneously.

After more discussion, we draw a conclusion that the only duet song that we both know is "Broken by Seether & Amy Lee". However, I claim the male part of the song immediately. It's embarrassing enough to have to sing on a stage, but singing a female part would be even worse.

Once we enter the auditorium, I notice how different it looks from earlier today. The stage has a banner across it that reads "Spring Karaoke Night" and there seems to be quite the crowd. I didn't even know there were this many people in the whole area, let alone attending this event. There is also some nice upbeat music playing in the background. Not sure of the song, but it's definitely the kind of music that gets you pumped up.

"Come on. We need to register!" Nicholas runs ahead of me to the sign up desk. He can be so eager at times.

* * *

After signing up, we take our seats in the front row. "You ready?" I nudge Nicholas.

"Ready to make you look bad on stage? Of course I am!" He replies.

"Pfft you wish!" I roll my eyes. Suddenly, the lights begin to dim. Here we go!

First to sing is a group of elderly men and women. They sing some religious song in which everyone aside from me begins to sing along to. I pretend to be singing, but Nicholas notices that I don't know the lyrics and begins to laugh at me. "What so funny? You aren't even trying to sing." I point out to him.

"I'm saving my voice for our duet." He shouts over the crowd.

"Fine, then I'll do the same." I sit back down and remain silent.

The next singer, which is one of Theresa's friends that I recognize from before, sings solo. She sings a country song which I am also unfamiliar with and does a phenomenal job with it.

Although that last act is a tough one to follow, Nicholas and I are next.

"Okay," Nicholas turns toward me. "Whatever happens we're in this together. Let's go have some fun up there!" He smiles at me.

"You got it buddy." I say as we fist bump.

"Our next performance will be, for the first time ever, our very own Nicholas and his friend Zack!" The woman announcing each performance exclaims. The crowd begins to cheer as we make our way to the stage. This is it. Although I'm not much of a singer, I have to at least give Nicholas a run for his money.

"Hey guys! Let's give it up for my new friend Zack!" Nicholas extends his arm out toward me. The crowd begins to cheer. I try not to get embarrassed, but he made it too difficult not to.

As they cheer, the music begins to play. My verse is up first, so I take a deep breath and ready myself.

_I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away_

As I sing the lyrics, something hits me. I hadn't noticed before that these lyrics are about two people who were in a relationship! And I'm singing this with Nicholas… talk about awkward.

_I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

I turn toward Nicholas to find him smiling at me. I guess he's absolutely oblivious to the meaning behind this song.

I turn back toward the audience and continue to sing, despite how humiliating this all is.

_Because I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

I lower my microphone and turn toward Nicholas who holds up his thumb. He seems impressed by me. Now it's his turn though.

_The worst is over now and we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away_

Upon hearing his voice, I nearly gasp into my microphone. I turn toward him to verify that it is his voice I am listening to. He sounds absolutely amazing…

_There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain_

Nicholas turns toward me and sings the lyrics with a ton of emotion. It's an absolutely amazing performance.

_Because I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough_

Nicholas gets on his knees and plays the characters of his lyrics. I can't believe this. Who knew he was such a performer.

_Because I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

After finishing his lyrics, he stands back up and begins to do a little dance. For some reason, his confidence begins to rub off on me. It's as if the awkwardness I'd once felt completely disappears. I start to dance as well, creating a smile across Nicholas' face. I no longer am even thinking about the audience watching or anything at all. Instead I am just having fun with my friend.

_Because I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough Because I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

We both sing simultaneously, this time both of us filling our lyrics with emotion as we reach our hands out to one another.

After singing our joint part, my final solo arrives. Nicholas leaves the stage, giving me the full attention of the audience.

_You've gone away  
You don't feel me here anymore_

Finally, I find my eyes begin to tear up. How could this be happening over some song? I guess I got a bit too much into it.

After the song ends, the crowd goes absolutely wild over us. Nicholas runs back onto the stage and playfully messes up my hair. We high five and leave the stage. "I need to get back to the ship now." I tell him.

"No problem, let's talk once we get out of here." Nicholas whispers to me as we exit the auditorium.

* * *

"Dude, you were absolutely amazing out there!" I shout as we walk into the darkened forest.

"So were you." He smiles through the moonlight.

"Seriously though, you seemed like a natural performer." I pat him on the back. "Besides, you're an amazing singer!"

"Thanks! Anyway, I was wondering if maybe tomorrow we could spend the day on that boat of yours?" Nicholas asks as if he's been thinking about this for quite a while.

"That sounds great. I can introduce you to my friends and my brother!" I exclaim.

""You have a brother?" Nicholas gasps at me.

"Yup. A twin." I inform him.

His walking ceases. "A TWIN?" He yelps. "How could you not tell me that?"

"It slipped my mind." I confess as I begin to walk again. Now that I'm thinking about it, Cody has barely crossed my mind at all today. Last I remember he was going to ask Bailey out. I wonder what happened between those two.

We continue walking in silence for a bit until Nicholas begins to speak again. "I meant to ask you sooner, but why were you reading my Bible earlier today?" He asks me.

Oh, right. That…

"I don't know. It just caught my eye." I shrug. "You left it out, so I just picked it up and skimmed through it."

"Oh…" He sighs.

"Well, we're here! I'd better get back on the ship before my teacher kills me." I laugh.

Nicholas changes his expression back to a happy one. "Okay. I'll be here tomorrow at around noon. Sound good?"

"Yup. Later!" I wave as I run up the railing of the boat. I then notice my entire body seems to be shaking. I guess the thrill of today has given me chills. I really did have a fun day. Sure, it wasn't necessarily easy to deal with Nicholas' family. However, meeting someone who I can consider a closer friend after one day than practically everyone else I know made it all worth the while.

* * *

After checking back onto the boat, I immediately run to Cody's room. I am absolutely dying to find out if he got Bailey or not. Besides, I want to let him know about what I was doing today. It's funny how one little trip could change so much in my life. Between the drama with Cody and Nicholas taking his place as an amazing friend, I have went from living each day with the boring thrill of dating random girls to actually having a life to look forward to.

I reach Cody's bedroom door within a few minutes. This is it. I'm not sure why I care so much, but whatever the reason Cody is my brother and I have to find out either way. Time to find out if my advice helped my brother or if I raised his hopes only to have them crushed.

* * *

_What happened between Cody and Bailey after Zack left the scene? What fun times will come about during Nicholas and Zack's get together on the boat? Find out next time!_

_Don't forget to always review guys. Although I'm very busy, I promise to continue updating as fast as I can considering you guys continue reviewing!_


	7. Girlfriends & Churches

**A/N - This chapter, and every other chapter of this story, are in no way trying to portray Christianity in a negative sense. Zack is making criticisms, but this is in no way trying to flaming anyone's religion. I myself am Christian, so I would never do that.**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Girlfriends & Churches

* * *

*Knock Knock*

"Cody, you in there?" I yelp in anticipation of my twin brother. Suddenly, the door opens to reveal a different person than the one I'd hoped for.

"Oh hey Zack! What's wrong?" Cody's roommate, Woody, smiles at me.

"Hey Woodchuck. I really need to speak with Cody. Is he around?" I peak my head over his shoulders into the room.

"Nope. He said something about hanging out with Bailey in her room tonight." Woody informs me. Well that's a good sign. Maybe he did succeed after all!

"Thanks. Later then!" I shout as I run down the hall. Looks like it's off to Bailey's room!

* * *

Once reaching the girls' cabins, I immediately recognize Bailey's room to be the one with the open door. I slow down my pace as I approach her room. I don't want to look too anxious. Of course with everything that's gone on today it would only be natural to want to speak to my twin brother all about it, but I'd rather not make it so obvious.

"Hey Bailey. Hey Co…" I start as I walk through the door, finding the two of them laying on Bailey's bed staring at a textbook. "…dy?" I finish my greeting with the implication that I'm utterly confused.

"Zack! So nice of you to come. Wanna do some homework with us?" Bailey welcomes me.

"Homework? It's a Saturday night for crying out loud! Who does homework on a Saturday night?" I roll my eyes.

"He has a good point Bailey. It's getting late. I think I'd better hit the hay." Cody sits up.

"Okay. We'll pick this up tomorrow!" Bailey closes the textbook and rests it on her nightstand.

I slam my hand against my forehead in disappointment as Cody shuts the door. "Guessing you didn't ask her out?" I sigh as I begin to walk with Cody back to our rooms.

Cody hesitates for a moment. "Well… I was going to, but then we started discussing the material on our math test this Tuesday. Next thing I know, I'm calculating the lifespan of the different types of trees in the forest." Cody groans.

I place my hand on his shoulder. "Look buddy, don't sweat it. If you want to ask her out then just go for it. Your problem is that you keep trying to 'wait for the perfect moment'. Well, guess what? Life is never perfect so you're waiting for something that will never happen. Just tell her!" I semi-pep talk him.

"But what if she says no?" Cody worries.

"Let's make that a rhetorical question. What if she does say no? What difference would that make to you?" I asked honestly. For once, I feel like I'm the one who knows what he's talking about around here and not Cody.

"I don't know. Maybe she'll think I've only been talking to her up until now only because I want to go out with her." Cody says with discontent.

"Even if you do want her, you're still great friends so that shouldn't matter. She'll get over it. Besides, I really think she likes you back!" I wink at Cody.

"You think so?"

"I know so." I correct him.

Cody takes a deep breath. "Fine I'll ask her tomorrow afternoon. I promise."

"Awesome! Then I expect to hear from you tomorrow."

"Speaking of today's agenda, where were you today?" Cody becomes curious.

The smile on my face becomes bigger following this statement. "It's a long story, so I'll just get to the point. I made a new friend today! His name is Nicholas and…" I start ecstatically.

"Wait a second. His name? I thought that when it came to getting to know random people you were only interested in girls?" Cody asks with a smirk across his face. He clearly knows the answer to his own question but he wants to hear the answer from my mouth.

"He's a really great guy though. I had more fun with him today than I'd had in a long time!" I say, getting a tad anxious.

Cody stares at me for a few seconds before replying to my statement. "So, when will I be meeting this new friend of yours?"

"He's coming aboard the ship tomorrow afternoon to hang out. I'll introduce you then." I smile in joyful hope of tomorrow. Everything just seems to be falling into place. It just goes to show: the best things in life happen when you least expect them.

After talking to Cody, I head back to my room and go to sleep as quickly as possible. The faster I get to bed, the faster tomorrow will come and as of now, tomorrow is not coming fast enough.

* * *

…

…

*Yawn*

I turn toward the clock which reads "7:00 AM". That's odd… I never wake up this early, especially without an alarm aiding me. I guess my excitement for the day to come is just too much to sleep through.

I throw myself together in a matter of minutes and rush toward the door, not exactly knowing where I am headed. I turn toward the clock to find that only ten minutes have past since I had awoken. "Come on you stupid clock! Tick faster!" I groan as I plop mtself onto my bed. It's a Sunday so nobody would even be awake at this time.

After about five minutes of pointlessly sitting around, I decide to give Nicholas a surprise visit. He said he'd be here at noon, but by the time I get there it'll be around eight. Maybe he'll be eating breakfast or something.

* * *

I walk toward the front desk where I find the manager of the ship, Mr. Moseby, sipping on a cup of coffee. After spotting me, however, he begins to choke on the substance.

"Zack, what are you doing up? You're never up this early on a Sunday let alone any other day of the week." Moseby glares at me as if I'm up to something.

"I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to take a little stroll in the forest." I state innocently to the manager. He tends to never believe me, although technically I am lying. I have a much greater intention than to simply walk in the forest. Still, I'm not up to no good so it shouldn't bother him.

"I'm watching you." He points toward his eyes as he continues staring me down.

"Later then!" I wink at Mr. Moseby as I walk past him. What a grump.

* * *

After a fast paced walk through the forest, I finally see civilization up ahead.

"Zack! You're here!" A familiar girlish shriek cries out followed by rapid hand waving and jumping up and down. I begin to chuckle. I just love attention sometimes.

"Theresa, good to see you! Is Nicholas up yet?" I get straight to the point. Talking to Theresa could result in something fatal again, so I'd rather avoid it.

"Of course he is silly. It's a Sunday. Everyone's up by now." She smiles at me.

I stare at her in confusion. "Why would everyone be up this early on the weekend?"

"Because, it's Sunday. Church starts in fifteen minutes." She replies with a tone as if that should've been obvious to me. "Don't you go to church on Sundays?"

"Well, when I was little I used to, but not recently. I'm not really that religious. Besides, there's no church on the S.S. Tipton for me to attend." I inform the girl. Did I say too much again?

"Oh no!" She gasps.

"What?"

"You don't go to church. That's bad." She shakes her head in disappointment. "Although, it isn't really your fault since there is no church on that boat you live on."

"Yeah…" I sigh. Nobody even gives church a second thought on the ship, yet Theresa's acting like I robbed a store because of my lack of church going.

"Wait a second. I got it!" Theresa snaps her fingers as she smiles once again. "How about you come to church with me?"

I stare at her in discomfort. "I don't know…"

"Awww come on! Church isn't that bad. Besides, Nicholas is going to be there." Theresa reminds me. My thoughts on the matter immediately begin to change. I hate how powerful the "Nicholas card" has become. Then again, Nicholas has proved to provide a fun time in typically boring environments.

"Fine, I'll go this one time, but only because I don't want to be by myself. And if I don't like it, I'm leaving." I make sure I am abundantly clear.

"Yay!" Theresa yelps as she hugs me. "Come on, we'd better head to church. Don't wanna be late!" She tugs on my arm. I wonder how this is going to turn out…

* * *

When we arrive at the chapel, I stare at in awe. It's huge! Compared to every other structure in this town, it stands out like a sore thumb. It seems like this church is the prized possession around here.

"We're here!" Theresa exclaims. "Now, for the first hour we have Sunday School. This is when we split up into separate classes according to age."

"First hour?" I groan. "How long is church anyway?"

"Three hours, silly." She sticks her tongue out. My eyes widen. Three hours? I don't remember church ever being this long before…

'Let's just get this over with.' I think to myself as I swing open the church door. To my surprise, the church looks even bigger from the inside. The ceiling stretches ridiculously high with what appears to be God in the center surrounded by angels displayed across the rest of the ceiling.

Theresa immediately directs me downstairs and across a narrow hallway. I trail behind her as I take a brief pause at every door we pass. Inside every room thee are people of different ages doing various things. From young children singing to old ladies praying, Theresa was definitely spot on when she said EVERYONE goes to church around here.

"Here we are! This is the high school boys' class." Theresa extends her arms toward the door.

"Thanks…" I retort. Of course I'm far from thankful to be here, but it only seems fair to thank her.

"No problem. Well, I'd better get to my class now! Daddy'll kill me if I'm late." She begins to walk away, but then turns back around. "Where are my manners?" Theresa smiles as she walks toward me once more. "Bye Zack!" She hugs me for the millionth time in the past twenty four hours.

I wait until Theresa is completely out of sight before I open the classroom door. When I finally proceed to do so, I find about ten boys around a big circular table. However the first one to catch my eyes is obviously Nicholas.

"Welcome!" The middle aged man who seems to be the instructor in the room greets me. "Please have a seat wherever you'd like."

I remain silent, but flash a smile at Nicholas as I take a seat beside him. Nicholas stares at me in confusion. "What are you doing here?" He whispers.

"Your sister talked me into it." I reply as I glance around the table. "Who are all these people? I thought you were the only boy around here."

"They're from neighboring towns. People from all around come here because this is the main church of the upstate region." Nicholas states. He then looks back up at the older man and remains attentive. As a result, I do the same.

"So, as you were saying Joseph?" The older man says.

The petite boy begins to talk. "Well… I just wanted to know… what does God think of me when I do something bad?"

"What did you do?" I interrupt in curiosity. I notice Nicholas trying to shut me up midsentence, but I ignore him.

"It doesn't really matter what specific thing Joseph has done." The instructor informs us. "Everyone turn to Romans 3:12."

Not knowing how to use a bible myself, I look at Nicholas' bible to read along. "Joseph, would you kindly read for us?" He continues.

"Okay..." He softly replies. "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Joseph struggles to read. What the… we're all worthless? What kind of nonsense is this!

"So now, if there is nobody who does good, this means that everyone does bad. Therefore, if God were to hate you for your bad deed, then he'd have to hate everyone. Do you think that God hates everyone?" The man asks.

"No Mr. Lanning…" Joseph stutters. So that's his name.

"Moving on..." Mr. Lanning puts on a pair of glasses as he pulls his binder toward himself.

"Wait a minute!" I interrupt. Mr. Lanning looks up at me with the rest of the boys. "So, Mr. Lanning, you're telling me that everyone in this room is worthless?"

"We are only worth as much as God deems us to be worth." Mr. Lanning replies.

"That's nonsense! People are worth more to certain people than to others. For example, Joseph might be worthless in your life, but very important in my life. So calling us all generally worthless is absurd!" I begin to shout. Nicholas then kicks me under the table. I still ignore him though. It's obvious he just wants me to keep my mouth shut, but how could I listen to such idiocy without saying something about it?

"You're missing the point. What people on this earth think of you will not matter in the long run. What matters is God's view of us because we will spend eternal life under his ruling." Mr. Lanning sternly says.

"So, if he thinks everyone is worthless, then why bother to please him?" I ask.

"Because he still loves us even though we are far from perfect. In fact, he gave us a way to get to heaven even with our imperfections. Would you mind reading verse 22 of that same chapter?" He requests of me.

I snatch Nicholas' bible for the moment and begin to read. "This eternal life with God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe."

"See, even though we are 'worthless', he still gave us a way spend eternal life with him." Mr. Lanning informs me.

"Well, maybe I don't want to spend eternal life with someone who thinks I'm worthless." I roll my eyes. I look around the entire classroom and find everyone staring at me with widened eyes. Are they really that surprised that I'm saying this?

"That's a fatal mistake young man. I don't think you want to be damned to hell." Mr. Lanning states.

"Hmmph. Bring on the fire! I can take it!" I pound my chest. This guy's really beginning to get to my nerves. Why can't he just stop trying to scare everyone?

"Okay, well I have a class to teach. I can't spend all day on this." He opens up his lesson binder.

"Fine. I have better things to do anyway." I stand up and walk toward the door. I turn back toward Nicholas before leaving and notice that he is trying to not react, but it's clear to me that he wants to back me up. "Have a great day!" I shout as I slam the door with all my might. I then walk away, thinking about the fact that they're most likely discussing my whole display. Pffft, that guy can just go screw himself.

It also bothers me that Nicholas just sits there and keeps his mouth shut. Doesn't he see anything wrong with what that guy was saying? Doesn't anyone else in there agree with me? I can't be the only one with such a viewpoint, but I'm definitely the only one with the courage to say something about it.

* * *

After I exit the church, I decide my best bet is to head back to the boat. By now everyone should be awake, so I'll have people to keep me busy until Nicholas comes. Besides, I'm sure Cody and Woody would love to hear about my little venture this morning.

* * *

_How will Nicholas react to Zack's courageous pep talk when he rejoins with Zack? Find out next time! _

_Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter and understand that this was Zack's voice, not my own at all. I'm not calling out Christians because then I'd be calling out myself which is just silly._

_As always, don't forget to review! I particularly want to know if my church scene was a bit much in any of your opinions. I don't want to continue hurting anyone if I did here...  
_


	8. Romancing Gone Wrong!

**A/N - This will be the final chapter with innocent fun times between Nicholas and Zack. Starting next chapter, we will dive into the plot! Of course there will be tons more building of Nicholas and Zack's friendship, but you'll actually have a clue of where this story is headed starting next chapter. That, however, is in the future. So for now I hope you enjoy this fun little chapter! ^_^**

* * *

Chapter 8 – Romancing Gone Wrong!

* * *

"Zack, welcome back! So, how was your walk in the forest?" Mr. Moseby asks suspiciously.

"It was alright." I grunt as I walk by him. I'm not in the mood to deal with that guy right now.

Mr. Moseby remains silent as I walk by him and make my way to Cody and Woody's room. Good thing too because the last person I feel like discussing the details of my little outing with is Moseby. He's not exactly one to side with me in the first place.

On the way to Cody's room, I find very few people on the Sky Deck. That's odd? Where is everyone?

* * *

Upon arrival, I find Cody's door is wide open. I pop my head into the room to find Woody sound asleep and the shower running. Wow… that church was filled to the brim with every living person in its vicinity, yet around here people are still sound asleep. I envy their slumber right about now.

I walk over to Woody's bed and flip the mattress. "Wakey, wakey! Rise and shine Woodster." I laugh as I watch Woody tumble to the ground. Messing with him never gets old.

Woody snores once, noticeably louder, before popping his head up. "What's going on?" He wipes his eyes and looks at me.

"Come on. Get ready. You can't sleep all day." I say as I toss him some clothes.

"You're one to talk. You're usually not even up by now." Woody rolls his eyes.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opens up to Cody with a towel round his shoulder and a pair of boxers on. "Zack, what're you doing up so early?" Cody asks as he drops the towel in the hamper.

"Why is it so surprising for everyone to see me awake?" I sigh.

"You're just normally asleep until at least noon on Sundays. You can't deny that." Cody states as he scrolls through the clothes in his closet.

"Oh don't you worry, I wish I wouldn't have woken up so early today myself." I groan as I plop down onto my bed.

"Awww, is little Zacky cranky because he didn't get his full nights sleep?" Woody pinches my cheeks. He has problems being serious sometimes.

"No." I brush his hands off of my face. "I meant because I kind of got myself trapped into going to church this morning." I look down. I'm not sure why, but it feels a bit embarrassing to say that in front of particularly Woody.

"That's so unlike you Zack. What were you doing at a church?" Cody raises his left eyebrow in confusion.

"Nicholas was there, so I thought it wouldn't be so bad. Boy was I wrong…" I inform them.

"Who's Nicholas?" Woody asks.

"A friend of Zack's." Cody answers. "So, what exactly happened at church?"

"The idiotic teacher said that we were all worthless. I was pretty close to kicking his worthless ass across the room!" I raise my voice with the second sentence. Just recalling all of this makes my blood boil.

"Zack, please tell me you didn't make a scene?" Cody begs me. I remain silent. "Oh no… you didn't scold the guy, did you?"

I take a deep breath. Cody just knows me too well. "He was asking for it, calling me worthless. How dare he!" I raise my head in discontent.

"How'd Nicholas respond to all of this?" Cody questions me further.

"I don't know. He was trying to stop me, but I still raised my voice anyway. Somebody needed to speak for the crowd and I was the only one willing." I inform them.

"It sounds to me like Nicholas cares a lot about you. He was concerned for you when you decided to argue and I can say it's obviously the other way around. I mean, you wouldn't go to church for just anyone." Cody smiles. I begin to blush in embarrassment for no apparent reason. Cody's smile just makes things more awkward than they should be.

I clear my throat. "Look at the time. I'd better get some breakfast on the Sky Deck before Nicholas gets here!" I jump up from the bed and walk toward the door.

"He's coming?" Woody begins to smile. "Sweet! You'd better introduce me."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get ready and be at the Sky Deck by noon." I say as I close the door to avoid any further talking with them. Those two can just talk all day long.

* * *

When I arrive at the Sky Deck, I find that it's quite crowded. I guess a few minutes was all that was necessary for people to pile up out here.

I walk over to the buffet table and pick out some of my favorites, pancakes and bacon. I then obviously drown them in syrup. Yum!

I shove a piece of bacon into my mouth as I pour myself some orange juice. Suddenly, I feel a tap on my back. "Yes?" I mutter through the bacon dangling out of my mouth. I turn around to find Nicholas standing beside me.

Nicholas giggles as I spit out the piece of bacon. "What 're you doing here?" I ask him.

"It's fifteen minutes till noon. Too early for ya?" He continues to chuckle under his breath.

"I guess I must've lost track of time." I inform him. Thanks a lot Cody and Woody.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you. This boat is amazing! I can't believe you live here!" He throws his head left and right to observe every inch of the Sky Deck.

I stare at him in confusion. I didn't expect him to be so happy after that whole scene I made in church. "Aren't you upset at me for what I did at church?" I ask him.

"Of course not. I was more worried about you than I was about your defiance to my religion. I had to make up a fake name for 'the demon who penetrated our Holy House' to save your butt." Nicholas laughs even more. This isn't how I'd expected him to react at all. I guess he's a better friend than I'd thought.

"Haha, that's what they called me?" I too begin to crack up.

"Yeah! I knew you'd find that funny. Although it won't be as funny if you ever end up returning to church and coming face to face with Lenning again." He warns me.

"Don't worry about it. I have no intention to do so." I roll my eyes. "I still can't believe you just listen to that crap."

Nicholas looks down. "Well, I kind of agree with it. It's what I've been taught my whole life and I feel like it's the way I have to live."

I notice Nicholas' discouragement from the conversation and change the subject. The last thing I want is to waste a day with Nicholas arguing against him. "Anyway, I want to go introduce you to my brother. Then we could have some real fun!" I smile.

"What about your breakfast?" He point to the plate resting on my right hand.

I throw it in the garbage. "To hell with breakfast." I wink at him as I grab his arm. "Now come on. Didn't you say you wanted to meet my twin?"

Nicholas' face lights up once again. "I sure did!" He exclaims as I lead us both toward the boys' cabins. I can already tell that this is going to be an awesome day!

* * *

A few minutes into walking toward Cody's room, a particular someone catches my eye. "Hey Nicholas, check that one out." I raise my eyebrows in amazement. From her long blond hair to her beautifully crafted figure, she is nothing but pure eye candy!

"What? Where?" Nicholas squints trying to find the whereabouts of my observation.

"Are you blind? I'm referring to that beautiful girl over there. I think it's about time for you to see the Zack charm in action." I cockily brag as I walk toward her.

"Oh… okay then." Nicholas sighs as he follows behind me. He doesn't sound all that enthusiastic about this, but I'm sure I'll leave an impression on him when he sees how good I am at picking up girls.

"Why hello there. What's such a beautiful babe like yourself doing all alone?" I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

The girl looks at me with a face of disgust. "Get away from me." She backs away and waves her arms.

"Just relax. Good old Zack's here to make your day an amazing one." I begin to massage her shoulders. She's so into me. I can just tell.

"Ughhh." She throws herself back and slaps me across the face. "What part of I'm not interested don't you get?"

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna go get us some food from the buffet table. Why don't you have a seat?" I persistently continue. I don't want to fail in front of Nicholas.

As I walk toward the buffet table, I turn back around and notice that Nicholas is talking to the girl. I wonder what he's up to? He seemed completely against the idea of approaching this girl to begin with and now he's talking to her? I just have to know what they're talking about!

I tiptoe around the two of them and hide behind a tall plant. First I was spying from a tree to watch Cody and Bailey, and now this. I'm really quite the stalker these days.

"You know, you're a lot sweeter than that friend of yours. Maybe we can get together some time and, you know, have a little fun." The girl begins to rub Nicholas' chin with the tip of her index finder.

Nicholas begins to back up toward the plant I'm hiding in as she follows him with a lustful look in her eyes. "Uhhh, no thanks. I'm not… ahhhhh!" Nicholas trips over the plant as he backs away, causing the pot to shatter and the soil to spill all over my clothes.

As Nicholas falls to the ground, he tumbles on top of me in not exactly the most desired manner…

"Dude, get up! My hand is stuck in your ass!" I cry out. He apparently fell in such a manner that my hand was pressed up against his butt. I guess in the grand scheme of things it's no big deal. I mean, it's not like I'm gay trying to fight an urge for him or something. I just would prefer my hand not to be up his ass is all…

"Ahhh, sorry!" He jumps up in dismay.

"Call me." The girl whispers into Nicholas' ear as she slips a piece of paper with her phone number on it into his pocket. I watch Nicholas who's shaking as a result of her whisper. Is he that in love with her that he's actually getting chills?

"Haha, yeah. Bye nowwwaaaaaahhhhhh!" Nicholas backs up again, this time to trip over me. Maybe I should've stood up sooner? "I guess gravity hates me today." Nicholas sighs as he lies on the floor.

"Having fun?" A voice from behind us asks. I turn around and see Cody and Woody laughing at Nicholas and I covered in soil and piled on top of each other on the floor.

"Real funny guys. For your information, Nicholas just got some digits. Who's cool now?" I retort. Serves them right. Sure, I intended to be the one to win over that chick, but since Nicholas got her I might as well use that to my advantage.

"No, no, no." Nicholas stands up and pulls out the phone number. "She's the one who came onto me. I'm not even interested." Nicholas begins to get antsy. Suddenly, he looks at Woody. "You look like you need this phone number more than I do. Why don't you give her a try?" Nicholas places the piece of paper into Woody's hand. Nicholas isn't interested? How is that possible? Not interested… in a HOT GIRL? That's pure madness!

Nicholas walks toward the buffet table as a smile grows across Woody's face. "I love your new friend!" Woody exclaims as he runs off eagerly to give the girl a call.

"Cody can you he…" I look up to find Cody chatting with Nicholas as they get food. "…lp me up?" I roll my eyes as I rest my head on my palm. I guess this day isn't turning out exactly as I'd planned, but for some reason I still have that amazing feeling inside. A feeling that seems to be present during the unexpected. A feeling that my new best friend has given me. Oh, Nicholas, I love you man!

* * *

_I know it's seems to have been nothing but pointless friendship building up until now, but there's a point to all of this. Stay tuned for next time where we dive into a major plot point!_

_As always, let me know what you think in a review. This time I would like to hear your thoughts on these fun little scenes between Zack and Nicholas I keep making. Are they boring? Are they interesting? Are they cute? Let me know in a REVIEW! =D  
_


	9. The Secrets That You Keep

**A/N - Here's the next chapter! I got a whole lot busier lately, so I barely managed to squeeze this into my schedule. Anyway, I plan to release one more chapter of this story before moving on to the sequel to "Dying For Love 'The Luke Version'" for a little while. That chapter will declare the completion of the first part of this story (Chapter 1 has "Part 1" labeled on the top). There will be four parts of this story, so don't expect an ending any time soon!**

**Second, I would like to warn you ahead of time that Zack can become a little hated here. Before jumping the gun and calling him a "jerk", try thinking about things in his shoes for a minute. You'll see what I mean when you read the chapter! ^_^  
**

* * *

Chapter 9 – The Secrets That You Keep

* * *

It's Monday, and that means one thing: today is the last day we will be docked in New York! This is the last time I might ever get to see Nicholas and I intend to utilize this day to the fullest. Could you blame me after how fun these past few days have been? Even Cody has to agree with me that Nicholas is a pretty cool dude. After meeting him yesterday and getting to know him a little bit, Cody told me that Nicholas definitely feels close to me, to say the least. All that Nicholas could talk about with Cody were these past few days that he and I spent together. If I ever were to have that one friend that I could trust to be by my side no matter what, Cody honestly thinks it would be Nicholas.

On top of getting to know Cody, Nicholas also had a great time with me. After discovering the mess we'd made on the Sky Deck with that dirt, Nicholas and I were required to clean it up. Of course that naturally sounds like a boring thing to do, but I've learned that when I do even things that I'd dread alongside Nicholas they aren't as bad as I would expect. Not only did we stop cleaning within a the first minute, but we turned the entire Sky Deck into a soil war. After I playfully threw some soil at Nicholas in which he'd dodged, the soil landed on the face of an old lady. This resulted in a chain reaction of soil flinging fun…

"Zack." My geography teacher, Ms. Tutweiller, calls my name, thus breaking my daydream.

"Wha-what happened?" I furiously pick up my head and look at the chalkboard.

"Can you repeat the question that I just asked?" Ms. Tutweiller stares at me, clearly knowing that I have no idea what her question was due to a lack of attention.

*Ding Dong*

The dismissal bell rings. Talk about saved by the bell.

"Oh, would you look at the time? Let's continue with your question tomorrow. Later!" I rush out the door as my teacher shouts my name in an attempt to call me back in. I, however, ignore her and dart toward the exit of the boat. All that matters to me right now is meeting up with Nicholas and not even school will stop that from happening.

* * *

On my way off the boat, my cell phone begins to vibrate in my pocket. Just great. Who could possibly need me right now? I haven't given Nicholas my phone number yet and he's the only one who has a legitimate reason to call me right now.

I take out my phone and find Cody is the one calling me. I take a deep breath and irritably answer the phone.

"What?" I groan into the phone.

"I just wanted to let you know that Moseby and Tutweiller are searching for you. Apparently your attitude in class got you detention." Cody informs me. After thanking him for the warning, I shut my phone off. As far as I'm concerned, they can lock me up for the next month. As long as I can spend this very day with Nicholas, I don't care.

* * *

After stealthily sneaking by Mr. Moseby, I bolt across the forest and make my way to Nicholas' house with my backpack still strapped around my shoulders. Similar to last time, however, a certain someone seems to be guarding the entrance.

I happily sneak behind the girl and yelp. "Theresa!" I cry out as I hug her.

"Zack! You scared me." She hugs me back, not finding any annoyance in my actions.

"Why do I always find you right in this very spot?" I ask her curiously. First yesterday and now today. It can't just be a coincidence.

"I'm waiting for my best friend. She said she'd be here soon."Theresa tells me.

"Cool…"

"Nicholas is home if you're looking for him. Also, I heard that the ship you live on is really awesome and that you guys had a lot of fun on it yesterday." Theresa smiles at me.

"We sure did!" I begin to think of all the fun times we've had once again. He truly is the best friend I've ever had.

After giving Theresa another hug upon her request, I depart from her and head toward Nicholas' house. I would hang out with Theresa if I had more time, but unfortunately I don't.

* * *

Once I arrive at Nicholas' house, Christopher answers the door. I hope this doesn't head in the same direction as the previous two encounters I've had with him.

"Zack! I'm glad to see you're here. Nicholas has been very anxious to see you. Please, come in!" Christopher gestures his hands into the house as I hesitantly follow them.

"Where is he?" I ask, trying to minimize my interaction with the old man.

"Nicholas is taking a shower at the moment, but you can stay here with me until he comes out." Christopher puts on his glasses. Oh God no… anything but talking to this guy.

"No thanks. I uhhh… I'll go wait for Nicholas in his room." I run up the stairs before giving Christopher a chance to reply. The last thing I want to do today is have another theological discussion with that old timer. Heck, I'd prefer taking that detention over talking with him.

* * *

When I make my way into Nicholas' room, I plop down onto his bed. 'What should I do while I wait?' I think to myself. I begin to rummage through Nicholas' stuff without permission. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

After several minutes of searching, I find many drawers filled with clothes and an outdated gaming console gathering dust in a corner. Finally, I recall that there is always Nicholas' Bible that I can search through in the meantime. So, on that note, I open the drawer of Nicholas' nightstand with the intention of borrowing his Bible momentarily. When I open his nightstand drawer, however, I find a new book on the top this time. It has no text on the cover of it and has a little strap keeping it sealed closed. Of course my curiosity overtakes me and I decide to undo the strap. Untitled books are particularly intriguing sometimes.

I open it up to the first page which has a date on the upper right hand from about a year ago. I scroll through the book and discover each page is dated, occasionally skipping a day here and there. Could this be… a diary? Nicholas has a diary? I begin to laugh in my head. I guess this is something that I can make fun of him for later.

I begin to glance through each page, simply having trips he went on and Bible verses he likes. Nothing I'd really care that much about.

After a few boring pages, I find that there is a big skip in time in the book of about half a year. The date skips to about two days ago. I begin to read the more current entries:

"_It's been quite a while since I've written in this book, but that's because nothing interesting ever happens in my life. All that I can ever do these days is use the computer, play video games, or read. The one prayer I've had as of recent is that God would bless me with someone my age. And, in all honesty, he couldn't have picked a better person._

_This morning, a boy only a year younger than me named Zack happened to randomly stumble into my sister and make his way into my life. Some might call this luck. I, however, consider it an answered prayer._

_Zack is definitely the best person who I could've encountered. He's a great friend and quite the looker. I hate to admit it, but I think I'm in love with him…_"

I pause there. Wait a minute. WHAT! He's… in love? He means like he loves me as a friend… right? Because he's a guy… and I'm a guy. He can't be gay… it's not possible… is it?

"_…When Zack and I went swimming today, I couldn't stop staring at his hot body. It is just so perfect in every way. I began to fall so in love with him that I took the heat for his little mix up where he taught my sister the word "gay". Just the reaction of my parents in that whole scenario proved that I could never let them know that I in fact am gay…_"

I stop reading, but continue to stare at the page dumbfounded. I can't believe this. I've been spending the past few days with some homo who wants to get me in bed with him? This can't be true. Nicholas is such a good friend…

"…Later on in the day, we did a duet together. He had the most adorable voice I'd ever heard. Sure, it wasn't perfectly pitched, but just the fact that it was coming from his mouth made all the difference…"

I shut the book in disgust and slip it back into his nightstand. I just can't read another word of this. It's just so gay and nasty that I can't imagine ever looking at Nicholas in the same way that I had been this morning.

I stand up, unsure of what to do next. Half of me has the desire to forget I'd ever read that book and spend this day to fullest, while the other half of me wants to get the hell out of here before this fag makes a move. I can stand gay people, but when they're attracted to me… well that's a line I never want to cross. Just thinking about another dude fantasizing about me is disturbing.

* * *

I step out of Nicholas' room and hear the water turn off in the bathroom. He must be done with his shower. Without even giving it a second thought, I walk toward the staircase with the mindset of leaving this place forever. Before I reach the staircase, however, I hear footsteps traveling up them.

"Hi Zack!" Theresa greets me with her friend beside her. "This is Casey. My friend that I was telling you about before."

"Oh, that's nice." I sigh as I walk around them toward the staircase, trying to keep my cool.

"Is everything okay Zack?" Theresa asks me.

"I just need some time alone." I grunt as I look back at her.

"Well if you ever need someone to speak to, I'm always here for you!" She smiles at me.

"Great to know." I state. I realize that this is not at all her fault, so why shouldn't I accept her concern?

As soon as Theresa runs into her room with Casey, Nicholas exits the bathroom with only boxers on. Just great… I never should've stopped to talk with Theresa.

A smile crawls across his face. "Zack!" Nicholas cries as he runs over to hug me.

"Dude! Get off me! You're like half-naked!" I push him away. I don't want some homo's bare chest all over me. Ughhh…

"Oh, sorry." He jumps back. "Let's go in my room for a bit, and then we'll go have some fun outside!" Nicholas smiles at me.

I stare at Nicholas' bedroom door and back at him. No! He's already half naked. He's probably gonna try to rape me in there or something!

Once Nicholas enters, his room, I shut my eyes and jump back. "No!" I scream.

"What's wrong Zack?" He asks.

"You're wrong!" I walk up to his bedroom door. "I read what you wrote about me in your diary." I glare at him. Nicholas' eyes widen. "I'm not going to hang out with some guy who just wants me in his pants."

"I…" Nicholas begins to tremble in fear. What the hell is he so scared about? I'm the one who was one step away from getting raped by a gay guy.

"Find someone else to sleep with, Faggot." I whisper as I slam his bedroom door shut. I haven't been this infuriated for a while. Just think about it: my closest friend in the whole world turned out to be gay for me. I doubt any straight guy in this whole damn universe would simply accept his best guy friend being in love with him. It's just wrong.

* * *

I march down the stairs and find Christopher reading the newspaper again. "Nice to see again Zack. Has Nicholas come out of the shower yet?" He seems to enjoy started meaningless conversations with me.

"He sure has." I roll my eyes as I slip my shoes on.

"Where are you going?" He questions me.

"Home." I state as my blood comes to a boil.

"See you next time then." He brings his newspaper back over his face.

'There won't be a next time.' I say under my breath. It's as if everything that's happened these past few days has simply shattered before me. I don't know what to feel about all this or what to do right now. All I know is that I need some time to myself and maybe, just maybe, the answers to my many questions will come to me.

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_Will Zack ever see Nicholas again? Will their friendship ever be reborn? Keep reading to find out!_

_And as always, PLEASE review! This time I would like to know your thoughts on Zack's reaction. Was it "out of character" in your opinion? Was it normal? Whatever you think, let me know!  
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	10. The Forgotten One

**A/N - This is the final chapter of Part One of this story! This means that I will now be taking a brief break once again and switch back to my "Dying For Love" series. Hope you guys don't hate me for all the breaks I take with this story. I promise I will get back to this soon!

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Chapter 10 – The Forgotten One

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I stumble into my room, ignoring everyone on my way there. I'm not quite sure why, but I feel like my entire day has been ruined. It's not like I can just go on as if things are normal after the events that just unfolded in Nicholas' house…

I lock my bedroom door and stuff my face into my pillow. "Why did he have to be gay?" I groan to myself. This just all seems like a bad dream that I will soon wake up from. A boy that I became close to and didn't even suspect in the slightest to be gay turned out to be just that. Go figure…

*Knock Knock*

"Zack, it's me." Cody's voice penetrates my door. I, however, don't say a word. Maybe he'll think I'm not here. "Come on Zack. I can help you if you let me. I'm your brother and it's my job." Cody pleads.

Although I hate to admit it, Cody does usually know what to do in the situations where I'm stumped. So, after taking a few seconds to think it through, I rise from my bed to unlock the door. I don't open it for him, but instead unlock it and plop right back down onto my bed.

After a few seconds of silence, Cody twists the door and realizes that I unlocked it. He slowly opens the door and finds me staring back at him with an awfully blank expression. I honestly don't even know how I should be feeling right now.

"So, you mind telling me what's going on?" Cody takes a seat next to me as I lower my head as to not look him in the eyes.

"Cody, can I ask you something?" I say vulnerably.

"Sure…"

"If you figured out that your best friend was madly in love with you, what would you do?" I raise my head once again.

Cody's eyes widen in shock for a few seconds, until he is once again able to regain himself. "Well, if you mean a guy friend, I really don't know. It'd be really hard to hear that your friend is gay, let alone that he's into you, all at the same time." Cody admits. "However, if you're talking about Nicholas, I've seen you around him and you two were really happy in the presence of one another. I wouldn't let all that go down the tubes just because he likes you."

"I guess that makes sense, but it's just so hard for me to grasp. How could a dude want to… you know… do _romantic_ things with me?" I twitch upon saying the word "romantic". Just attempting to wrap my head around that gives me the creeps.

"Well, I can't really answer that question, but I doubt Nicholas would act on his feelings if you didn't want him to. Kind of like me with Bailey…" Cody looks down. "Bailey rejected me by the way."

"Ouch. I hope she didn't freak on you. " I reply.

"She didn't, but that's what I mean. She is still willing to be my friend knowing that I like her, so why can't you do the same for Nicholas?" Cody looks into my eyes.

*Ding Dong*

'Attention all guests, students, and faculty aboard the ship. We will be departing in thirty minutes. As of now, everyone has checked back onto the ship. If you do not wish to travel with us to our next destination, then please check out now. Otherwise, have a wonderful day aboard the S.S. Tipton.' Mr Moseby announces.

I rise from my bed. "Where are you going?" Cody asks.

"There's something I must do." I clench my fist as I dart for the door. Thanks to Cody, I now know what needs to be done.

* * *

After what might have been the quickest sprint of my life, I arrive at Nicholas' house. I rapidly pound down the door as I anxiously jump up and down. Once again, Christopher answers the door.

"Welcome back. Nicholas has been in his room since you left. I think he'll be happy to know you're here." Christopher smiles at me again. For some reason I always think this guy is up to something when he smiles. I'm not exactly sure why though.

Without even releasing one word out of my mouth, I bolt up the stairs to see Nicholas. However, once I reach the front of his door, I freeze up. The whole way here I was fully confident that Nicholas wanted me to come back and say sorry to him, but standing in front of his door gives me a sense of insecurity. Maybe things won't turn out as they had played in my head.

I hesitantly provide a single knock on Nicholas' door. "What?" Nicholas spits back in disgust. I stiffen in response to his cold tone."Who's there?" Nicholas raises his voice. I begin to back away. Maybe coming back here wasn't such a good idea. Suddenly, I hear the door begin to unlock. "Ughhh Theresa I'm not in the mood for your…" Nicholas stops when he sees that I am before him. "… Zack …" His eyes widen as he scans my entire body to verify I am not an illusion.

I take a deep breath. "We need to talk." I walk into his room, feeling a bit more confident in myself now that I've actually seen his face. It's just like I'd been telling Cody from the start, say what you need to and if the person doesn't want to date you, or in this case forgive you, then at least you'll know you tried. "I'm really sorry about everything I said before." I state as I shut his door. "I was just so shocked by what I discovered that I had completely forgotten that you're my best friend." I tell him.

"But…" Nicholas starts as he stuffs his head into his knees position.

"What's wrong?" I ask him in confusion.

"I'm wrong Zack! I'm not supposed to be like this. I'm not supposed to be gay! It goes against everything I believe in." Nicholas begins to tear up. "I completely understand why you left before. I mean, who would ever want some fag as their friend?"

"I do, Nicholas. I want you as my friend! I haven't had so much fun in such a short amount of time with anyone before and I don't want all of that to be forgotten over such a minor issue! So what if you're gay? Let's just go back to the way things were. As long as you don't make any moves on me, it's all good." I try to comfort him. I don't think I'd ever have said half of the things I'd just said if I weren't so worried for this boy.

"You don't know how jealous I am of you Zack. You have it so much easier being interested in girls. I'd do anything to be straight." Nicholas wipes the tears out of his eyes before they fall.

"Then why don't you just turn straight?" I question him. I mean, if he wants to then what's holding him back?

"It's not that easy. I can't control who I fall in love with. If I could, then life would be a whole lot easier. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you, and I wouldn't feel so misunderstood."

I never really thought about it that way. He can't control who he falls in love with? "Well, I'm here for you buddy. I'm not exactly gay, but I promise I'll always help you when you need it."

"Thanks for being such a good friend." Nicholas hugs me. I instinctively resist for the first second, but after I realize that he's hugging me for reasons aside from lust, I allow it. I really need to learn to not always be so paranoid. I trust Nicholas and he would never go as far as to make a move on me that I don't want him to.

"Now, let's head downstairs and maybe see what's cooking in the kitchen." I stand up with Nicholas to follow. As we both exit the bedroom, my phone begins to vibrate. The name on the front reads 'Cody'. Of all times he has to call now? "I'll see you downstairs Nicholas. I have to take this call." I inform him as I open my phone.

"Hello?" Cody asks.

"Hey bro, what's up?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Nicholas' house. Why'd you ask?"

"Oh no... Dude! The ship set sail!" Cody yells in the phone.

"WHAT!" I gasp. Could I have really taken that long?

"Okay, don't worry. I'm gonna go inform Mr. Moseby immediately. I'll call you back in a bit." Cody anxiously states as he hangs up. Now what am I supposed to do? I can't just go on with Nicholas and act like nothing's wrong. I guess I'll just be honest and tell him what's going on.

* * *

I rush down the stairs and run into Theresa at the bottom of them. "Hey Zack! My friend just left." She tells me.

"Sorry Theresa, but I'm kind of in a rush here. I have to talk to Nicholas." I run past her into the kitchen. I wish just as much as she probably does that I had the time to talk to her, but unfortunately I have bigger things to worry about.

As soon as I enter the kitchen, I find Nicholas beside his mother. There's no time to waste on greeting her though. "Nicholas, I have a huge problem! The boat took off without me and I'm stranded!" I cry out.

"Oh no, that's awful!" Katherine turns her attention toward me. "I'll get my husband to call their and let them know immediately." Katherine rushes out of the kitchen.

"Do you think they'll come back for you?" Nicholas asks.

"They have to come back. I'm a student aboard the ship. Besides, all my stuff is aboard that ship. They can't leave me stranded like this." I sigh. I rush into the living room with Nicholas to give Christopher the phone number of the front desk. For once his startling personality will be put to use.

"What's going on?"" Theresa asks as she joins the rest of us.

"Zack's ship left without him. So now we're calling them up to tell them." Her mother informs her.

"Oh." She states as she watches her father on the phone.

As Christopher talks on the phone, his tone becomes increasingly irritable. He eventually begins yelling. This can't be good…

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TURN AROUND? YOU LEFT ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS HERE!" Christopher yells into the phone.

It looks like I'm not going to be able to get back on the ship. Well, if that's the case, then I might as well give my mother a call to pick me up. I step out of the living room and pull out my phone to call my mom. She immediately answers.

"Hey mom, it's Zack!"

"Hey sweety. How's everything?"

"Well, not so good. The S.S. Tipton kind of departed without me and now I'm stranded in New York. I was wondering if maybe you can pick me up because they can't turn back around for me." I groan into the phone. This really sucks, but as much as I don't want to go home I have not much of a choice.

"Oh no! That's terrible! I have a concert tonight, but if you need me to pick you up I can cancel it. This is an emergency after all!" She yelps.

"Don't get ahead of yourself there mom. I'm currently in my new friend Nicholas' house. His dad is talking to Mosey right now and I'll give you an update in a few minutes." I inform her.

"Okay, but don't forget to call back! Love you." She makes kissy sounds into the phone as I hang up. It's just one bad thing after the next today.

When I walk back into the living room, I find Christopher off the phone. "Apparently, the ship has to make an important meet in England and is on a tight schedule. They can't turn back around, but the guy in charge said they'll come back for you as soon as they can. For now you're more than welcome to live with us if you'd like though." Christopher smiles at me. My face begins to light up. Stay… here? That was the first smile from Christopher that actually thrilled me. I turn toward Nicholas who also seems happy about that idea.

"Zack is staying?" Theresa exclaims in excitement.

"It's up to him." Christopher responds to his daughter.

"All of my clothes and things are on the ship though." I remind them.

"You can borrow some of Nicholas' clothes. I think you two are about the same size." Katherine tells me.

"Well, my mom is on a tight schedule, so taking time out of her day to pick me up would be tough." I state, giving an excuse. Who am I kidding though? Of course I'd rather stay here than go home! "Looks like I'll be staying here for a while then!" I grin ecstatically.

"Hooray!" Theresa jumps onto me in excitement. I love how close I feel to this family after only such a short amount of time. Sure, Christopher can be rough around the edges and Theresa can be the annoying little sister type at times, but I just feel so accepted by all of them. This is definitely going to be an interesting few weeks.

I then proceed to call my mom and twin brother, letting them both know that I will be staying with Nicholas and his family. My mother gives me the whole "don't cause them any trouble" speech and insists that she has a word with Nicholas' mother. After I hand Katherine the phone, I hear my mother saying she'll pay for whatever the costs of keeping me are. Katherine tells her not to worry about it though. My mom can be real interesting sometimes.

My phone call with Cody is a bit different. I tell him about how Nicholas and I are friends again and how I will be staying with him for a while. Cody says that it should be a lot of fun and to keep in touch with him while I'm gone. I guess separating from a twin is never easy.

After all the phone calls, I am told to follow Nicholas to get the inflatable mattress to sleep on in his room. Nicholas and I break into a conversation of what we will do in the days to come together as we get the mattress. Apparently I have yet to try fishing, horseback riding, tubing, and many other activities. The more he discusses this, the more excited I am to be here. At this point, it's as if the ship leaving me here was a good thing!

I also notice how it seems as if Nicholas has completely forgotten about our conversation from before about him being gay. I didn't think we'd get over that so soon. I'm sure it will come up again, but hopefully with a better context.

So, now that all the drama in my life is resolved, it's time to kick back and have a good old time with Nicholas and his family! Could life get any better that this? Doubt it!

**END OF PART ONE**

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_What will happen in the weeks to come with Zack, Nicholas, and the gang? Stick around for Part Two of this story to find out!_

_As always I would really appreciate that you guys review. The more reviews I get the more I feel like writing. So if you want to see Part Two, then let me know that in a review! **I might continue this story sooner than I plan to if I get enough reviewers demanding me to do so.**  
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	11. The Man With a Plan

**A/N - It's been a while! I know I haven't written lately, but I just don't feel like doing so as much lately. I've been going though quite a bit and it's hard. Sorry to anyone who was growing impatient for an update. Here it is though. Enjoy! (:**

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**Part Two – Five Minutes to Midnight**

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Chapter 11 – The Man with a Plan

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It's been a few days since I'd first moved into Nicholas' house and let me tell you: I've loved every minute of it so far! Their family has done nothing but accept me with opened arms into their house. I honestly feel like a member of this household. Of course my mom is always calling in from time to time to make sure that I'm not being a burden, but I guess that's expected.

I also call my brother every night just to talk about my day. Probably one of the hardest parts of all of this is the separation anxiety from leaving my brother. We've been together our whole lives and to be ripped apart like this definitely isn't easy on either of us. Although I have to admit, I feel just fine with Nicholas by my side.

So far, most of my week has been spent hanging around Nicholas. When he's at school I usually am just sleeping, but Christopher recently signed me up to attend their school. It's the only school for miles, and it's supposed to be a Christian school too. Go figure.

* * *

"So Zack, what do you wanna do today?" Nicholas smiles as we walk aimlessly through town.

"Doesn't matter to me. Whatever you want to do is fine." I reply. We've done just about anything there is to do around here by now. You'd be surprised that neither of us are bored out of our minds at this point.

Nicholas looks toward the ground. "Hmmm, well how about we…"

"Zack!" A higher pitched voice yelps as a young girl tramples onto my back. I turn around and see Theresa clinging onto me with several other girls watching her.

"Oh, Theresa, what's up?" I stare at her awkwardly as she holds onto me.

"Well, we were just about to play a game of hide and seek. Do you guys wanna play with us?" Theresa's face glows as she stares at me. My goodness. This girl stares at me like I'm her idol or something. Kinda scares me sometimes.

"I'm down for a quick game if Nicholas is." I turn toward Nicholas who seems not too fond of the idea.

"I suppose I'd be willing to play, but just one round and that's it." Nicholas sighs. Maybe I should've just declined their offer instead of forcing Nicholas into playing. What fun could possibly come out of this anyway?

"Not it!" All of the girls immediately scream in unison. Startled, I turn toward them and back toward Nicholas who is grinning at me. Does he want to be the seeker?

"Go on. Say it Zack. You don't know these parts as well as I do, so it wouldn't make sense to have you seeking out everyone." Nicholas points out. I guess that makes sense…

"Not it." I squint in suspicion. Why do I have the feeling that he's up to something?

Nicholas winks at me. "Okay, you guys have until I count to one hundred. Is everyone ready?"

Without saying a word, everyone begins to scatter about the town. I freeze up as I watch Nicholas begin to count. Where am I supposed to go anyway?

Suddenly, I feel a tug on my arm. "Zack come on!" Theresa begins to lead me. Well, it's not like I had any idea where I was going anyway. Might as well just follow her.

Without speaking, I creep away from Nicholas as if he'll catch me if I make noise. He's still counting, but I feel like I could potentially make my whereabouts known.

We run side by side into the forest when I finally attempt to inquire a sense of direction. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

"You'll see!" She smiles at me. I didn't think there was anything special about this forest. What difference would it make if we hid here or five minutes deeper into the forest? It's all just trees anyway. Oh, and leaves. Let's not forget about those.

As unconvincing as it is to me that there would be anything special to unveil in this forest, Theresa proves me wrong. "Here we are!" Theresa leans on the stone wall before her with accomplishment drawn across her face.

"What is it?" I stare in disbelief.

"It's a cave silly. Nobody else knows about it, so promise you won't tell anyone." She stares at me hopefully.

"Uhhh, sure." I make little of the situation. It's just a stone structure with some space inside it. It actually resembles the shape of an igloo, but it's made out of different material. A cave would be way bigger than this. I don't want to discourage Theresa though, so I keep my mouth shut.

"Yay! Then let's go inside. Nobody will find us and there's just enough space for the two of us." She grabs my arm once again and forces me into the structure. I wonder: did she have this planned out from the first second she tried to get us to play hide and seek?

As we crawl into the opening of the structure, I find that there is a perfect amount of space for the both of us to sit comfortably inside it.

After we both take our places on either side of the structure, I realize that this is going to be a while. "So what do we do now?" I ask, kind of bored.

Theresa slides closer to me. "We wait." She lays her head on my shoulder with the biggest smile across her face. Well, if it weren't obvious to me before, I think it's safe to say that she has somewhat of a crush on me. It's actually kind of cute coming from a little girl. I guess I'm somewhat of a pushover when it comes to this sort of thing.

After a few minutes of her head resting upon my shoulder, I look down and discover that she has fallen asleep. She must've been really tired from the active schedule she keeps up with around here. Oh well, I guess she kind of has the right idea. I think I need to catch up on some sleep myself. I tilt my head so that it rests on top of her silky hair. 'Who knew that Theresa would actually be this comforting for me?' I think as I close my eyes and drift off into a silent slumber.

* * *

…

*KSSSSSHHHHH*

My eyes fly open as I attempt to stand, only bumping my head on the stone pavement above me. Theresa slides off of me, waking up as well. "Wh-what's going on?" Theresa rubs her eyes as she sits back up.

I pop my head outside and notice the torrential downpour in progress. "It's a thunder storm." I calmly state as I shield my head back under the structure.

"Oh no! Are we going to be okay?" Theresa shrieks as she begins to panic.

"We should be fine. I'll give Nicholas a call on his cell phone and let them know where we are." I reply as I pull out my cell phone. After I turn it on, however, I notice the lack of reception. "Crap. The storm must've knocked out the reception. I can't call anyone." I sigh.

"Zack, I'm scared!" She cries out as she presses her head into my chest.

I wrap my arms around Theresa in an attempt to comfort her. "Don't' worry, everything is going to be f…"

*KSSSSSHHHHH*

Theresa looks up. "What was…"

*THUMP*

"AHHHHH. What is that?" Theresa points at the giant object blocking the entrance to the structure.

"I think it's a tree. It must've been knocked down by the thunder." My eyes widen at the realization I am given by that tree. If it had fallen just a little bit closer, we could've been killed.

"Zack, please make this stop! I want to go home!" Theresa begins to tear up.

I take a deep breath and exhale every ounce of fear held inside myself. "Just relax Theresa. If you want to get out of here, then I'm going to need your help too." I smile at her, trying to lighten the mood. Theresa stares at my smile for a few seconds. She then wipes away her tears and nods to reassure me that I have her full attention. "Okay then, the only hope we have is to push this tree out of the way. We need to move it before the dirt it is on dries up because it'll be harder to move on dry dirt than on mud." I inform her as I begin to push the tree.

"Zack, the opening isn't big enough for both of us to push though." She mentions. Did I really not even notice that? Wow, am I stupid or what?

Suddenly, the tree begins to budge. "Just push me into the tree. That'll help." I say as I push with all my might.

As soon as she places her hands on me, I become startled upon the fact that she pushed on my butt. "What happened?" Theresa hesitates as if she thinks something bad happened.

"I just didn't think you'd push me on my butt is all." I state as if that should be obvious.

"Well, where else do you want me to push? Your back is bent due to the fact that you can't be upright because of how low this cave is. I really didn't have much of a choice." She admits. Well, I guess she has a point.

I take another deep breath. "Fine, continue what you were doing. Let's just get out of here already." I turn back around and continue pushing. I cringe a little when I feel her hands applying pressure on my butt once again, but I shake it off and just continue pushing.

After about thirty seconds of pushing, the tree begins to budge. "I think we've pushed it far enough." I say as I back up. "You ready?"

"I don't know… what if the lightening gets us?" Theresa begins to shake again.

"Well, we aren't any safer in here than we would be out there. Let's just get home." I insist as I begin to climb through the new opening between the tree and the stone.

After maneuvering my way out, I reach my hand into the structure. "Your turn." I say, getting quickly chilled by the rain.

Theresa hesitantly takes me by the hand. As soon as she feels the rain pounding on her arm, she pulls back. "I don't want to get wet. I'll get sick." Theresa frowns. Really? That's what she's worried about? This is a matter of survival and she's worried about catching a damn cold?

After groaning at her statement, I come up with an idea. I lift my shirt over my head, leaving my upper half completely vulnerable to the rain now beating on it. "Use my shirt to cover your face." I throw it over her head.

"But what about you? You're gonna get…" She begins.

"Don't' worry about me. I don't care about some stupid cold. Let's just get to safety." I hoist her out of the structure without waiting for her approval. I've kept patient for long enough. She's coming with me whether she wants to or not.

I take Theresa by the hand as we bolt across the forest. She doesn't exactly run fast enough for my taste, but I slow down and go at her pace anyway. I also keep an eye on Theresa as we run. She seems awfully determined to get home. It's as if nothing else is on her mind at the moment. I wouldn't even be surprised if she forgot I was alongside her. Whatever the case, after all this time with Theresa, I guess I've learned to like her presence. She isn't really as annoying as I'd initially thought. She just takes some getting used to.

"You know, Theresa, you're actually a pretty cool girl." I wink at her as we run through the forest.

"Awww, you're so sweet Zack." She jumps into a hug with me, stopping in her tracks. I guess she wasn't as focused on getting home as I'd thought.

I cradle her in my arms, not caring that we are standing in the rain. I guess, in a way, I've grown attached to Nicholas' sister. Not like a girlfriend or anything, but definitely like my very own sister!

Suddenly I look up and notice lightening striking a tree right beside us. The tree slowly begins to descend. Could another tree really be falling in the same storm? Couldn't be…

As I'd hoped it wouldn't happen, the tree in fact begins to tip over. "Theresa, watch out!" I scream as I pull her along with myself as fast as I can. Luckily, we barely manage to get out of the way of the tree.

"Zack, y-you saved me…" Theresa stands in frozen in shock.

"You can thank me later. Let's get a move on it." I begin to run once again, leading her toward the now in view town. At this point, I just want to get us both home in one piece.

* * *

When we arrive at the door, Katherine answers it, immediately clinging onto her girl. The boys apparently took the car to search for us. Guess we must've been missing for a while.

I run upstairs and change into dry clothes after thoroughly drying my body. Now that I am finally able to relax, I realize that I am somewhat light headed. I lay down on my bed. I guess Theresa was right about the after effects of going shirtless in the rain.

After a few minutes of resting, I hear Nicholas and Christopher entering the house downstairs. Christopher begins to tell his daughter that he is so relieved to see that she is safe. She apparently gives me all the credit though. She tells her dad about how she brought me to her secret hiding spot for hide and seek when it ended up raining. She even includes how the tree almost killed her. If she's trying to give her parents a heart attack, then she's doing a phenomenal job.

After that, I hear footsteps making there way up the stairs. I quickly shut my eyes as the person begins to walk up to me. "Thank you Zack for taking care of my sister. You're the best friend I could ever ask for." Nicholas whispers as he hugs me. A smile forms on my face. I guess this is what being a hero feels like. Well, aside from the cold that is.

Nicholas then stands up, tucks me into my covers, and leaves his bedroom, closing the door behind him. "Is Zack in there?" Christopher asks his son from outside the door.

"Yeah, but he's sleeping." Nicholas tells his father.

Despite what his son had just said, Christopher opens the door anyway. I squint to see that he is smiling at me. "God bless this boy." Christopher whispers as he closes the door. Wow, even Christopher is happy with me. Could this day get any better? Well, it wasn't exactly a good day, but I won't complain. I've become even more welcome into this family, and I'm loving every second of it. I don't want to leave this place. Not now, not ever!

* * *

_How well will Zack get along with everyone in Nicholas' family in the days to come? Will Zack fit in at the Christian school he will be attending shortly? Read on to find out!_

_For this review, tell me what you thought of Theresa and how she bonded with Zack. _^_^

_Thank you to all my readers and reviewers for staying so patient and I will try to update again when I have time!_


	12. School Fights

Chapter 12 – School Fights

* * *

"Up and at 'em Zack!" Nicholas shouts as he closes the bedroom door.

I roll over still half asleep. "What time is it?" I squint because of the open blinds.

"Time for your first day of school." He reminds me as he throws a shirt onto my head.

"Maybe later…" I throw the shirt back at him and close my eyes. I feel terrible this morning. Must be an aftereffect of being shirtless in the rain.

"Why do you sound all nasally?"

"I think I'm sick. Must be from staying out in the rain yesterday." I sniffle as I remain lying down.

After a few seconds of silence, I hear the creaking of the staircase from outside of the bedroom. "Hurry up you two! We have to go." Christopher yells from the other end of the door. I immediately hop out of the bed and pick my shirt back up. I forget that Christopher is a pastor sometimes. He seems more like a military officer or something. I guess you can say that Mr. Moseby is equally as demanding, but Christopher is far more intimidating than that five foot dwarf could ever be.

"Haha, so my dad scares you too?" Nicholas smirks at my reaction to his father's irritable behavior.

"No way! He just caught me off guard." I roll my eyes in an attempt to not look like a wimp. Who am I kidding though? That guy scares the crap out of me.

"Oh come on Zack! People that are caught off guard can jump up, but to run over to that shirt and put it on shows that you were more than just startled."

"Whatever." I put my hands in my pockets and turn my head away from Nicholas. I hate that he's right.

After getting ready, Nicholas and I eat a nice breakfast prepared by Katherine, including gigantic pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a variety of drinks to choose from. It actually surprises me to see that she is even up at this hour let alone preparing a full course meal.

Nicholas and I stuff our faces as fast as we can and head out to school. Nicholas normally has to walk with his sister, but today she went with her friends so it's just the two of us.

* * *

After practically sprinting for a few minutes, Nicolas and I finally arrive at school. I guess the fact that I'm sick really takes the wind out of me when I try to run. I usually don't feel so exhausted from a little running, but today I feel like collapsing.

The school building doesn't look like any school I've seen before. It's much smaller than most schools. There can't possibly be more than one class per grade attending this school. On top of that, it looks more like a house than a building. It's white and even has a roof with a chimney on it.

As we enter the "house", I immediately notice that there isn't even a security desk in the front. For all I know, any random creeper could just walk in here and do what they please. Are people around here really that naïve?

I also see a good amount of girls shuffling through the hall. Nicholas wasn't kidding when he said there were no guys around here. Not that I mind at all though.

"It's like I died and went to heaven." I smile as I watch all the girls go about their business.

"Ummm, I don't think they're exactly the datable type." Nicholas warns me.

"Haha, well you just haven't seen the Zack magic in action."

"You mean that same magic you used on the ship the other day?" Nicholas sarcastically reminds me of the situation where I made an utter fool of myself the other day.

"Oh please. Just watch and learn." I raise my eyebrow as I advance toward a lovely blond haired girl.

"Why hello there." I wrap my arm around her. "So, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

"Do I know you?" She looks at me, disgusted.

"Not yet, but that's what introductions are for. I'm…"

"Skip the details. I'm not interested." She pushes me away and continues.

I look back at Nicholas who's grinning at my failure. I sigh and lift my head back up. I can't let him be right. "Wait, don't…" I follow after her as my nose begins to twitch.

*ACHOOOO*

I sneeze on the back of the girl's neck. "EWWWWW! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU JERK!" She runs away as I stand still, completely mortified at how I made a complete idiot of myself just now. Darn this illness and it's ability to make me sneeze more often.

I turn around to find Nicholas in hysterics over the situation. "Haha, very funny." I roll my eyes.

After a few more seconds of laughing, Nicholas finally calms down. "I told you that you stood no chance. The people around here are not interested in dating because that's what we're taught. We're taught that you shouldn't try to start a relationship with someone before you're 18." Nicholas informs me.

"Well that's just stupid. You're gonna waste all of your young years without being able to enjoy the experience that is love."

"Oh, no. I don't agree with the people of this town on that one. Heck, I don't agree with a lot of things that this town drills in our heads. If the philosophy of this town were to my liking, things would be a lot different around here…" Nicholas sighs. Apparently we touched a bad topic.

"Anyway, you wanna head to class now?" I try to change the subject after seeing the discouraged expression on Nicholas' face. Not that I'm excited to get to class or anything.

"Okay… but first let's go pick up your schedule." Nicholas escorts me to the office. On the way there, I try to lighten the mood by discussing how I just made a complete fool of myself. As planned, Nicholas begins to smile and laugh again.

After receiving my class schedule, Nicholas observes it for me and tells me that the only class we have together is "Bible Study" at the end of the day. Why is that even a class. Since when were there religion courses in school? As if the other subjects didn't waste enough of my time…

* * *

The majority of my day goes by extremely slow. I kind of doze off in every class. At least I get to catch up on the sleep I wanted this morning though. Before I know it, however, lunchtime arrives. Not even having lunch with Nicholas is kind of a bummer, but the fact that there's going to be food makes up for it.

I enter the dining hall, immediately smelling the aromas before me. I look at the buffet display across the back of the hall. Who knew school meals could consist of such good food?

I immediately notice the blond girl from earlier and instinctually make my way to her table. "Hey there." I greet her as I take a seat on the other side of the table. "What was your name again?"

She ignores me and takes a sip of her drink. I rest my chin on my hand. "Look, I'm really sorry for sneezing on you before. I have a slight cold and it kinda just happened."

"Why are you here? Didn't you get the message that I'm not interested before?" She replies.

"Melanie, what's happening girlfriend?" A darker skinned teen girl takes a seat beside the blond one.

"Oh, so that's you're name. Melanie. It's a lovely name." I smile. She still refuses to look at me, but I keep my head held high.

Suddenly, hands cover my eyes from behind. "Guess who?" An extremely identifiable voice asks from behind.

"Theresa! Hey!" I smile as she lifts her hands and takes a seat beside me. Finally, a familiar and welcoming face to speak with.

"Zack, guess what?" Theresa begins to go through her bag. "I got 100 on my Math Test!"

As little as I care, I pretend to smile. "That's great…" I say, not meaning it at all. School is definitely not something worth bragging over in my opinion. I then turn back toward Melanie. "So, Theresa, have you met my good friend Melanie?" I state as Melanie glares at me.

"Good… friend?" Theresa asks, seeming somewhat upset. Not sure why though.

"No, we're NOT friends!" Melanie slams the table. "You're just an annoying, persistent jerk who doesn't know when to leave someone alone!"

"Hey, don't talk to him like that! Zack's an awesome guy!" Theresa shouts back.

"Who the heck are you?" Melanie asks, looking at the small girl before her.

"I'm Theresa. And I say that you'd better stop acting so mean to Zack. He's the best, and it should be an honor for you to have such a guy want to be friends with you!" Theresa gets in Melanie's face.

"Well, if you like him so much, then why don't you take him to a different table?" Melanie proposes this idea.

"I'd be glad to. Come on Zack!" Theresa screams. I hesitate as I look at Melanie. "ZACK!"

"Coming…" I get up and run to Theresa. Was Theresa always capable of being so intimidating?

The rest of lunchtime consists of me socializing with Theresa. Well, most of the talking is from Theresa, but I still consider it a conversation between the both of us nonetheless. I do glance over at Melanie every so often though. I can't help but wonder what it is with her that she wants no part of me like this. Guess I might as well not kill myself over her though, or anyone else in this school for that matter. Nicholas was right, I shouldn't waste my time on these girls.

After lunch, it's time for the last class of the day: Bible Study. At least Nicholas will be with me for this one.

* * *

As soon as I enter the classroom, Nicholas waves his hands to call me over. I quickly take a seat beside him in the back of the classroom. Good thing he picked the back of the classroom though because much like the rest of my classes today, I have the feeling I'll be dozing off shortly.

"Okay class. Today's lesson will be on tolerance. As Christians, we should learn to be accepting of those around us, no matter who they are or what they do. However, there is a fine line between tolerating these people and permitting their sinful behavior!" The teacher practically shouts to the class. Wait a second… is she saying NOT to accept people that aren't Christian? "Let's discuss, as an example, a prostitute. Clearly not a follower of God's word, hence clearly not a Christian. If such a person happened to walk into our church though, we should accept her with open arms. We should be grateful that such a person is seeking help by stepping foot into our beloved chapel. Even though we accept this person, however, we must make it abundantly clear that we do not tolerate their sinful behavior."

Why do I even listen to this nonsense? Then again, how could ANYBODY listen to this nonsense? I immediately throw my hand into the air to give my retort.

"Yes. Zack, was it?" The teacher points at me.

"Yeah, I'm a bit confused as to what you're saying. Are you saying that just because someone is a prostitute they are instantly against God and going directly to hell?" I ask. I have the feeling I know what she's going to say, but I feel like playing a little dumb to get the truth out of her.

"Well, yeah. Any follower of God would never resort to such darkness." She informs me.

"What if she is a single mom with kids who will starve if she doesn't get money and prostitution is the only way for her to get this money." I propose to her. Yup, just what I expected.

"She is a not a follower of God. No ifs, ands, or buts on the matter. If she trusted God, then she would give up her prostitution and know that God will help her through whatever hardships she may have."

"That's just ridiculous. I thought that we all do bad things. Why is this prostitute punished for doing something bad when we all do something bad ourselves on a daily basis? Shouldn't it be equal punishment? Are you saying that there's some sort of ranking for how bad a sin is?" I watch as I begin to get on the teacher's nerves. It's actually quite humorous. I also glance at Nicholas who's just observing like the rest of the class.

"Of course there's a ranking system. Do you really think someone who murdered their brother will have equal treatment as someone who stole a piece of gum from their friend?" She replies. Hmmm, an interesting response with a point that I can actually understand.

I look back at Nicholas and a question instantly pops into my mind. "How bad of a sin is marrying someone of the same sex?"

The teacher's face becomes clearly disgusted as she begins to speak. "That is certainly one of the worse sins on the list. About the equivalent of rape." She states. And there goes me being able to accept what she says…

"You can't be serious. So you're saying that if a guy is a follower of God, but is married to a dude then he's…"

"Impossible! No true follower of God would willingly form a marriage with another man!" She begins to raise her voice. Sorry lady, but your lesson's gonna have to wait until another day because this isn't ending anytime soon.

"How do you know what other people think? Being attracted to the same sex for some people is like being attracted to the opposite sex for us. It's an uncontrollable urge. Whether or not they actually get married to the same sex won't change how they feel every waking second of everyday when an attractive person of the same sex walks by." I fight back. I look at Nicholas for a final time to find his mouth wide open in shock.

Before the teacher gets a chance to reply, the bell rings. She begins to turn a boiling red color. "Zack, I want to speak with you. Now!" She slams her book on the table in frustration.

I begin to walk to the front of the classroom. "Should I wait outside?" Nicholas questions.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a second." I wink at him. He seems a bit worried, but I don't know why. He has to learn to be more lax.

I walk up to the teacher who begins to speak once all the other students leave. "I don't know what you call what you did today or why you're even here, but I do NOT want you speaking in my class ever again. I have a class to teach and you are an interruption. Do I make myself clear?" She glares at me.

"Got it. I'll just take a nap in this class from now on." I wave me hand carelessly in the air as I walk out the room. I'm not sure why, but I feel sort of proud about what I did. I may have aggravated a teacher, but I also got my point across to an entire class while feeling victorious at the end of the day.

* * *

After meeting up with Nicholas, he immediately asks me what the teacher said just a few seconds ago. I clue him in, only to have him worry about me some more. He's such a worry wart sometimes. I just reassure him that nothing bad will happen which makes him somewhat calm. He then begins to thank me for what I did back there. Apparently he saw it as me defending him. That wasn't necessarily the intention, but I guess I sort of did.

When we arrive back at the house, Nicholas' key doesn't work. "That's odd. Apparently it's double locked. My parents don't usually do that though."

I begin to beat on the door, resulting in Christopher answering after a few strokes. He immediately stares at me. "I just got a call from the school that you had a few problems with what was being taught in class."

"Dad, he was just curious about…"

"Nicholas, I don't want to hear it. Go to your room for a while. Zack and I are going to have a LONG talk!"

* * *

_What will be the outcome of the discussion between Zack and Christopher to come? Find out in the next chapter!_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that I haven't been updating as fast as I used to. I will try to speed my updates back up in a few weeks when my schedule clears up!_

_And as always, PLEASE review. If you want faster updates, a quick review will always inspire me to do so!  
_


	13. Awkward to the Millionth Power

_Well, I know it's been a LONG time since I last updated. Honestly, I lacked inspiration and just wasn't in the mood to write anymore. Fortunately, for anyone still interested, I am in the mood to write once again! Odds are that you guys don't remember everything that happened last in this story due to the six month break I took, so I advise going back and skimming if you are still reading this. So yeah, enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 13- Awkward to the Millionth Power

* * *

After giving me a sympathetic look, Nicholas walks upstairs. I, however, just wink back at him as a way of reassuring him that everything will be okay. I haven't let anyone get to me so far today, so why would this situation be any different?

Christopher watches Nicholas until he is completely out of sight and then turns back toward me. "Now then Zack, I heard you have some misunderstandings concerning tolerance of non-believers?" Christopher smiles, thoroughly creeping me out.

"I thought you were mad at me." I attempt to verify whether or not he still is.

"Mad at you? You're just a misguided teen that is very curious of the topics at hand. Unfortunately the teachers in the classroom have a curriculum to stick to. I, however, have the time to listen to any and all questions and opinions you may have. So go on, tell me what you disagreed with." He takes a seat on the cushioned couch and pats the cushion next to him, indicating that he wants me to sit there.

I take a deep breath and sit beside him. "Well, the teacher was saying that someone can't be a Christian simply because they are a prostitute or a homosexual. I think that's absurd! Who's to say that they love God any less than we do?" I become quite firm with Christopher, only realizing my tone of voice after the completion of my statement. "S-sorry for talking so disrespectfully sir. I just get so into it…" I turn somewhat vulnerable. This guy really seems to defeat me by his mere presence. He doesn't need to say a word to put me in my place. I mean, who would ever expect me of all people to catch myself talking disrespectfully?

"It's fine. Your line of thinking, however, is not fine. Anyone who commits such blatant acts against God cannot have given their life to him. These people need our help Zack. We need to show them that their way is not the right way." Christopher explains to me. I actually understand him much more than that teacher who seemed to just be robotically spewing whatever she was taught her whole life. Christopher seems to really believe what he's saying. With that said, I still disagree.

"How do you know how a gay person really feels?" I reply.

"Uhhh, Zack… are you homosexual?" Christopher asks me. What the hell? How did he draw that type of conclusion? Is it because I'm defending them?

"No way!" I retort. Although there is definitely a gay person closer than you think…

"So then why do you care so much about this topic?" He questions me. Not knowing how to reply, I think for a few seconds. The real answer is because your son, who is my friend, is gay. I can't say that though. So how do I answer him?

"I-I don't know… I just don't like simply accepting things that people tell me I guess." I sigh. I feel like I'm at gunpoint and if I tell the truth a bullet will just blow my head clean off. At the same time, I feel like a knife has just been pierced through my back for avoiding the truth. But what I can I say? I'd rather take a knife to the back than a bullet to the head.

Another smile grows across Christopher's face. "You know Zack. You're a very smart kid." He winks at me. Smart? Me? The kid who can't even do anything more than elementary school mathematics was just called smart by a wise old man? Either this guy is nuts or his definition of smart is different from anyone else's.

After he dismisses me from the conversation, I head upstairs to find Nicholas eavesdropping from the top of the staircase. I laugh at him in such a predictable position. "I'm really sorry about…" Nicholas starts.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault your dad is somewhat on the persistent side." I wink at him as we walk into his room. Nicholas seems to blame himself for things to often. "Now then, how about you and I head to the river for a swim?"

"Sounds good to me." Nicholas changes his tone. "I'll go change downstairs and meet you back up here in a bit." He grabs a pair of swimming trunks and heads for the door.

I watch him as he exits suspiciously. He seemed to have changed his attitude a little too quickly. What is he up to?

I take a bathing suit and listen over the staircase. "Hey dad. Can you please not get on Zack's case too much? He's our guest and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable living here…" I hear Nicholas tell his father. Why is he doing this after I just said it's fine? He's going to get himself in trouble.

"Don't worry about it Nicholas. I'm just guiding him in the right direction. You should do the same if he really is your friend. You do want him to spend eternity in heaven with you, right?" Christopher replies. He didn't get as irritated as I'd expected, but the things he's saying are still in character.

"I guess you're right… I should, shouldn't I?" Nicholas repeats.

"You'd be a bad friend if you didn't. Now then, go have some fun and I'll see you guys later." Christopher says confidently. How the hell could Nicholas just accept what he's being told like that? No wonder Nicholas is so scared of everyone around here. It's like he's been brainwashed.

I dart into the bathroom as I hear Nicholas approaching the bottom of the staircase. I quickly try to change into my bathing suit so that Nicholas will not question what I was doing that whole time. I throw off all of my clothes onto the floor and pick up my bathing suit. Suddenly, however, I hear the bathroom doorknob begin to turn.

The door swings open with Nicholas on the other end of it. "Nicholas!" I yelp as I try to cover myself. Based on the redness in his face, Nicholas definitely saw more than enough of me before I'd covered myself though.

He quickly shuts the door as a sense of awkwardness fills the air. "I… I'm so sorry Zack. I thought you were changing in the bedroom." Nicholas shakily mutters out. I stand completely silent in disbelief of the past few seconds. How am I supposed to react to this? I'm obviously not okay with a gay guy seeing me naked, but at the same time Nicholas is my friend. I just don't know…

I slide down the ground and bury my head into my knees. "It's… okay…" I force out of my mouth. Okay…? This is far from okay.

"Hey Nicholas, can you help me fix my TV?" Theresa asks her brother.

"S-Sure" Nicholas walks away from the bathroom door, leaving remnants of his discomfort behind. I just can't believe this could happen. I've been having enough trouble accepting Nicholas, but now every time I see him I will think of this. Every time he lays eyes on me, I'll know that very pair of eyes has seen underneath my clothes before.

After a few more minutes of thinking, I put on my bathing suit and slowly begin to turn the doorknob. I cautiously pop my head out the door and notice that nobody is within visible range. I then charge downstairs to avoid any contact with Nicholas. Just looking at him as I exit the bathroom would be too weird.

"You going somewhere?" Christopher asks. I forgot about him. He better not start another lengthy discussion with me. I don't want to be here when Nicholas comes downstairs.

"I'm heading over to the river. Tell Nicholas to meet me there when he's ready." I inform his father. As awkward as it will be encountering Nicholas, I will have to do it eventually and the best place to talk will be out at the river where nobody else will hear us.

"Well why don't you just talk to me until he's ready?"Christopher smiles.

"NO!" I shout, quickly cuffing my hand over my mouth soon after. "I mean, Nicholas said he'll meet me there. I'm just dying to swim and I can't wait any longer!" I laugh with a very obviously fake undertone as Christopher stares at me. He definitely knows that something is up. "Uhhh, bye now!" I run out of the house, quickly shutting the door. Talk about awkward.

* * *

After getting a good distance from the house, I start to slow down. What will happen when Nicholas and I meet face to face? It's not like I can just avoid him for the rest of my time here. I mean, I sleep in the same room as him for crying out loud!

I take a seat beside the sparkling river on a tree stump as I continue to think. I look down at my bathing suit, more specifically thinking about how my body had just been exposed. Now then, let's think of this rationally; in terms that I can get. Let's say I have a female friend and I walk in on her topless. She'd probably panic, then I'd say sorry and I think we would just move on. Of course the image would be permanently etched into my mind, but she wouldn't have to know that and we wouldn't let that come between us. So why is this so different? Why…?

Sure, it's another guy who I know is sexually attracted to me that saw my entire nude body… but I know Nicholas and I trust him. I know he wouldn't try anything without me approving.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my back. I turn around to find Nicholas waving at me in silence. This awkwardness will never end until I break it, so I guess I should get it over with…

"Look man, it's fine. You didn't know I was in there." I put my arm around him to comfort him.

"Well Zack, I wanna be perfectly honest with you… The thing is, no matter how hard I try to stop thinking about it, I just can't get that image of you without clothes from my head." Nicholas sighs.

I take a deep breath and remain calm. "Well we're guys. Our hormones are crazy like that."

"I guess you're right…" Nicholas says looking discouraged.

"So, does that mean you liked what you saw?" I ask loosely. I don't want to seem creeped out by his sexuality anymore and I guess putting myself right into the crossfire is the best way to do that.

"Don't you have girls who can tell you that?" He remains down. It must be really hard for him. He hates that he is this way more than anything else in the world. I can just sense it…

"Well, actually no. You'd think I of all people would have lost my virginity, but you're actually the first person to have seen me naked. Aren't you special?" I laugh.

"Really?" He finally looks up in shock. He looks as if he is not only shocked that I've never gone that far with a girl, but also surprised that I am being this tolerant about his thoughts.

"Yeah, really." I smile.

"Then yes…" He states.

"Yes?"

"Yes, I liked what I saw… a lot…" He stares at me, waiting to see how I will react. My smile grows even bigger. You'd think I'd be disgusted right now, but I feel legitimately happy. It's as if what he says feels normal to me. I guess Nicholas wasn't the only one who was brainwashed by the society he lived in. All my life it was etched into my brain that guys aren't allowed to judge other guys and I submitted to this way of life.

"Haha, I thought you would. I am quite the looker after all." My cocky side takes over.

"Enough flattering you for one day. Swimming time!" Nicholas eagerly changes the subject. I still sense a slight discomfort with this topic in him, but it is expected. It's not like he lives in a place where his ways are acceptable.

Nicholas quickly throws his shirt off and walks toward the river. I hadn't noticed it before, but Nicholas has a pretty good looking body himself. Not saying I'm sexually attracted to him, but he's a pretty good looking dude.

"I think I like what I'm seeing too." I wink as I shift my eyes from his stomach to his face. Nicholas turns a bright red and begins to try to cover himself. "Relax, we're both friends here. I was just being honest. I think you're a good looking guy. I'm into girls, but since you were so honest, I thought it was only fair I let you know my personal opinion. From one guy to another."

He slowly uncovers himself and smiles. "You're a great friend Zack." Nicholas hugs me. I remember the day when I first figured out he was gay and he hugged me shirtless and I was disgusted to my very core. This time, however, it doesn't even faze me.

After a fun hour of talking and swimming with Nicholas, we return back to the house for dinner which is, as always, delicious. Tonight Katherine prepared a homemade macaroni and cheese with popcorn chicken. Two of my favorite dishes in one night!

* * *

Upon finishing my meal, I inform everyone that I am going to give my mom a quick call and flee to Nicholas' room. As I scroll down my contacts I see Cody's name and opt to giving him a call instead. I know I have been very supportive with Nicholas lately, but I just want to give my brother a call to hear his opinion on my situation.

After about two and a half rings, I hear the rustling of the phone being answered from Cody's end. "Zack?" Cody asks, sounding shocked that I would call him.

"Yeah man, it's me. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"You don't usually call me until later in the night. What's up?"

"It's been a pretty heavy day. Just needed to talk to you."

"Okay… What's up?" He repeats.

"It's Nicholas…" I start.

Cody sighs. "What is it this time? Is it that he's gay? Or that he isn't accepted?" Cody begins to list the themes of previous conversations.

"Not quite…" I pause and take a deep breath. "…He kinda saw me naked today. It was an accident and I played it off lightly, but I'm still not sure if I handled it well.

"Wow, that must've made things really awkward between you two. Still, I'm glad you didn't let it get to you. I'm sure Nicholas has your best interest in mind and you should do the same."

"Yeah, I know. I just wasn't sure because… Well, you know. Nicholas is gay…" I point out the obvious.

However, as soon as I say that, I hear a gasp from the other end of the bedroom door. My senses immediately kick in. "Well thanks bro. I gotta go. Talk to you again another day." I quickly shut the phone and head for the door. I open it to find none other than Theresa on the other side.

"Did you just say… Nicholas is…?" Theresa hesitates to finish her sentence.

My eyes widen as I see her at the door. Unable to process what is going on for about five seconds, I close my eyes briefly. How the hell do I handle this? I just accidentally spilled someone else's secret to a member of the society that he fears. Will she buy it if I try to lie my way out of this? Or should I try to talk her into accepting it? Who knows? I sure don't. And I thought the other events today were awkward… This one is awkward to the millionth power!

* * *

_How will Zack handle Theresa overhearing his discussion with Cody? How will Theresa react? Find out next time!_

_As always, PLEASE review if you read this. If you want me to keep my newly found inspiration, I highly advise it. This time for your review, you can tell me your thoughts on Zack's character development in this chapter and overall in the story. Also, I would love to hear any predictions on what will happen next chapter!  
_


	14. Theresa's Tale

_I know, I know. It's been a while. It's been so long that I doubt any of my readers are even interested in this anymore. Feel free to prove me wrong though..._

_This chapter has more "Theresa" in it than most of the other chapters up to now. Hopefully this will show you that Theresa is more than just a bratty little sister._

* * *

Chapter 14 – Theresa's Tale

* * *

I quickly regain my senses. I have to divert her! Theresa is such a tattle tale. There's no way she'd keep this a secret.

"Nicholas is what?" I confidently reply, acting as if I don't expect anything serious to come out of her mouth.

"I heard you! You said Nicholas is g…" Theresa starts.

"AHHHHH!" I quickly yelp to cover over the last word of her sentence. She was talking way too loud and I don't want to risk anyone hearing her.

I tumble to the ground and clench my left knee, as it is the most accessible body part. "It hurts!" I pretend to be in pain. How stupid am I right now? She is so not gonna buy this.

"What happened?" She looks at me in confusion.

I stumble back to my feet. "Uhhh, knee cramp." I retort.

"Oh… okay. You should go lay down." She wraps her arm around me and guides me to my bed. I still sense that she's suspicious as anyone would be in this scenario, but at least she isn't verbalizing it.

After placing me on my bed, Theresa heads for the door. "Do you need anything?" She says with a very rough monotone.

"Nope. I'm fine…" I sigh as she shuts the door. Barely got out of that one.

I remain in my bed, simply thinking about what would've happened if Theresa hadn't bought my excuse and knew her brother was gay. Would she even be able to keep it a secret? Would she still accept her brother? So many factors to put into account…

After an hour of thinking, Nicholas flings open the door with Theresa standing behind him. "You told her that I'm… you know!" Nicholas whispers loudly at me, loud enough that Theresa definitely heard him.

I stare back in confusion. "No…" I reply. I never told her… wait a second. Did she use my own playing dumb to get what she wanted? Wow, she's smarter than I thought…

"Then how did she…" He turns back to his sister.

"She overheard my conversation with my brother on the phone and heard me say it, but I covered it up. She probably acted like I did to see how you'd react and got the information out of you." I sigh.

Both Nicholas and I stare at Theresa, waiting for her to say something. "I'm sorry… I ... Why didn't you want to tell me before?" Theresa pouts.

"I don't know. I thought you wouldn't like me if I told you. Or even worse, that you'd tell mom or dad…" Nicholas twitches at the simple thought of that happening.

"Why would I be mad at you? You're my brother and even though I can be your annoying little sister sometimes I still care about you." Theresa smiles. "And why can't mom and dad know? It'll make you happier to not have to hide it and…"

"NO! They can't know! Not while I'm still living under their roof!" Nicholas panics. Tears begin to form in his eye.

"Nicholas…" I stand up and look at him sympathetically.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I won't tell them. I promise…" Theresa hugs her brother. "Now go wash your face up and let's go play some video games."

I watch in complete shock. Since when was Theresa this mature? From what I've seen in the past, Theresa has been nothing but a helpless, sheltered little girl. Now, she's actually looking out for her brother's best interest and comforting him? I haven't seen this side of Theresa before.

"Wow… I didn't know you had it in you to be so mature…"

"Well, it's not fun to be serious all the time, but I can be when it's necessary." Theresa looks at me with pride.

"Yeah, because you were nothing but mature that time we were trapped in that cave." I sarcastically reply.

Theresa rolls her eyes. "I was scared... That doesn't count." She looks away from me as I chuckle.

After Nicholas washes up, we enjoy the rest of the night playing video games and board games; just the three of us. We hadn't really let Theresa hang out with us that much before, but letting her know Nicholas was gay really brought out a new, better side of her. It's as if her knowing that gives her a sense of understanding.

* * *

For the next week or so, Theresa spends a lot more time hanging out with us. Her friends question why she hangs out with us "boring boys" over them. Theresa simply says that she has fun with us. I'm not surprised though. We are way more entertaining than a bunch of annoying little girls.

"Happy Birthday to meeeee!" I hear Theresa shouting as she runs down the hallway. I look up from my bed to see that it's only eight in the morning. I guess turning twelve years old hasn't brought tiredness to her quite yet.

I force myself to get up and get ready for the day after noticing Nicholas is already gone. I guess birthdays somehow mean getting up early in this family.

I go downstairs to find the entire house filled with birthday decorations. All around me are balloons saying "Happy Birthday," colorful strings dangling from the ceiling, and a birthday cake with thirteen candles on it. I guess they follow the whole "one candle for good luck" tradition.

"Why'd you guys set up so early?" I walk into the kitchen rubbing my eyes.

"Because we're going to Manhattan today to celebrate my birthday!" Theresa smiles as she cracks open four eggs simultaneously. I'm used to seeing her happy, but today she just seems exponentially more giddy than usual.

"Then why did you decorate the house so much if we won't even be here?" I look around the room confused. "And why is there a cake here instead of us just getting one at a restaurant in the city?"

"Because, first my friends are coming over. We're going to the city later."

"Oh, okay." I walk toward the stairs.

"Aren't you gonna wish me a happy birthday?" Theresa asks.

I look back, embarrassed that Theresa had to remind me. Lately I feel like she acts older than I do. "Oh, right. Happy Birthday Theresa!" I try to smile through my tiredness.

"Now go splash some water on your face. I don't want you to look half dead when my friends get here." Theresa instructs me. Now she's bossing me around? I'm not even gonna acknowledge that…

After throwing myself together, I return to the kitchen to find a big breakfast buffet. Before I know it, Theresa's friends arrive, and everyone begins to chow down. However, I shut everyone out as I stuff my face with food. Who wouldn't with such a lavish array of deliciousness?

After taking out about half my plate, I feel a tap on my left shoulder. A wonderful aroma begins to fill my nose as well. Not that the food hadn't already given my nose such a treat, but this smell was more like a perfume. I lean my head back to find Nicholas looking over me. He is wearing a blue collared shirt with the two top buttons undone, exposing the white t-shirt he is wearing underneath. His hair also looks particularly better than usual.

"Looking sharp dude. No wonder I haven't seen you all morning." I state. It actually hadn't occurred to me that I hadn't seen him until now, but I didn't want to make him feel unimportant.

"Thanks. I thought I'd better give a good impression to those city folk." He exclaims.

"Just one little thing." I say as I get out of my chair. I pop Nicholas' collar and take a few steps back to observe. "There, now you look top notch." I wink.

Nicholas blushes. "You think so?"

"Woah there. Keep it in your pants." I laugh as I sit back down and continue eating. "I'd better do a little fixing up of my own or else all the ladies are gonna be too distracted by your good looks."

Nicholas gasps at my statement. "You really think that?"

"Of course I do. Wait did I say something wrong? Was it the whole 'ladies' thing?" I look up worried.

"No… quite the opposite. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Coming from you makes it even more special to me." Nicholas hugs me.

As Nicholas hugs me, I begin to get intoxicated by his cologne. "Dude, hook me up with that cologne you're wearing. It smells amazing."

"S-sure." Nicholas stutters as he runs toward the stairs, waving at me to follow.

I look down at my food, then back at Nicholas. "Guess I've eaten enough." I whisper to myself as I run after him. It seems like these past few days I haven't really spent as much alone time with Nicholas, so I owe him that. Then again, is this girly? I mean, my "guy time" with Nicholas is us giving me a "makeover"… Ehhh, when I put it that way it sounds bad, but in reality I'm doing this for the ladies, so my motive is far from girly.

Nicholas helps me decide what to wear. We opt for a basic v-neck white t-shirt with jeans. Nicholas thinks that a simple look suits me better than a flashy one. He also redoes my hair, giving it more of a "messy" effect. I actually like it a lot. I guess the stereotype that gay guys have a good sense of style is spot on.

By the time I'm ready to go, the crowd of girl lurking downstairs has already left.

"Look at you boys. You're adorable!" Katherine smiles at us as we reach the bottom of the stairs. "This calls for a picture."

"Mommmmm." Nicholas groans.

"Zack!" Theresa calls from behind me. I turn around, and Theresa's face immediately changes. "Wow… you look… wow." She looks me up and down.

"I know." I grin as Christopher walks in, giving me a quick glance.

"Haha, do you boys have hot dates tonight?" He smiles.

"We plan to before the day ends." I inform him jokingly.

"Alrighty, then we best get to the city as soon as possible. Everyone in the car." Christopher jiggles his keys between his fingers as he walks back outside.

* * *

After a lot of driving, we finally make it to Manhattan. The ride to the city was longer than I expected it to be. You'd think traveling within a state wouldn't require a lot of driving, but we clocked in at two and a half hours.

"Okay, so here's the plan." Christopher looks at his wife as we walk out of the parking lot. "Theresa is going shopping you for a bit. In the meantime, us guys will head to the restaurant to claim our reservations. When you two are done shopping, give us a call and I'll send the boys to come get you. Wouldn't want my ladies to roam the city alone." Christopher smiles down at his daughter. If there's one good thing about Christopher, it's that he loves Theresa unconditionally. Of course he loves his son too, but he has a more outward affection toward the baby of the family.

As I exit the parking lot and the New York sky surrounds me, my face begins to light up. I've always been a city boy, not just because the city is filled with hot chicks, but that is a pretty important reason. Upon simply entering the sidewalk from the parking lot, a total of four hotties are within sight. One of them looks about my age, while the other three appear to be in their twenties.

"Come to papa!" I whisper loud enough so that only Nicholas and I can hear. Nicholas giggles at my statement as I gawk at the lovely ladies around me, hardly paying anyone else much mind.

"Let's go you two." Christopher walks to the right. I regain my senses, and notice that Theresa and Katherine have already left. I then bolt to Christopher and continue to glance at the ladies passing us by. I guess being isolated for so long has made my yearning for women all the more powerful.

About five minutes into the walk, the three of us notice a rather loud group of people inside a park, holding up signs and cheering. I can't exactly make out what the signs say from such a distance, but the colors and appearance of the people make it rather obvious that this is a gay rights advocate group. I look at Nicholas, who has a confused expression on his face. I guess never being in the city before leads to such confusion.

"What's happening over there?" Nicholas asks his dad.

Christopher observes the situation and stops walking for a moment. The expression on his face makes it very obvious that he knows what is going on. "Let's go see for ourselves." He says as he walks toward the park. Oh boy, this does not look good… pro-gay marriage people and Christopher are certainly not a friendly mix.

"Brace yourself." I whisper to Nicholas.

"Why?"

"You'll see…"

* * *

_How will Christopher's conversation with the pro-gay marriage group in the park turn out? Will Zack pick up a girl in the city? Find out in the next chapter!_

_Well, I know this chapter doesn't give much progression to the story, but showing Theresa's more mature side was important for what is to come. It is almost time to transition from character development to the meat of the story. So brace yourself for a wild ride!_

_Finally, please review if you've read this. I would like a headcount of who still reads this..._


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